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The formation and development of caves is known as speleogenesis. Caves are formed by various geologic processes. These may involve a combination of chemical processes, erosion from water, tectonic forces, microorganisms, pressure, atmospheric influences, and even digging.
Speleogenesis is the origin and development of natural caves. Most caves develop through dissolution in readily soluble rocks, such as carbonates and evaporites. Speleogenesis can be adequately understood only within the broader context of the hydrogeologic setting and evolution of karst. In its turn, speleogenesis is a primary process that determines essential features of the hydrogeology of karst, and guides its evolution in many ways.
Lechuguilla Cave • Lechuguilla Cave is, as of 2006, the fifth longest cave (120 miles (193.12128 km)) known to exist in the world, and the deepest in the continental United States , but it is most famous for its unusual geology, rare formations, and pristine condition.
Lechuguilla happened when hydrogen sulfide gas bubbled up from nearby oil reservoirs deep in the ground. What caused the hydrogen sulfide to be released was the uplifting of the surrounding mountains, which created deep cracks in the earth over the oil reservoirs. A chemical reaction between the hydrogen sulfide gas and the oxygen molecules in the groundwater created a very powerful acid - sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid ate through the layers of limestone underground, leaving a maze of open cracks and caves. Unlike most caves that were formed from the top down, Lechuguilla was created from the bottom up.
These are the largest known gypsum stalactites in the world. Each is tipped with a spray of gypsum crystals.
Stalagmites, stalactites, and draperies by a pool in Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico, USA
Bottlebrushes form when Stalagtites are in water for extended lengths of time.
Skyline Caverns • Located in Front Royal, Virginia, Skyline Caverns is the closest natural wonder to the Nation's Capital. As one of the only places on Earth where rare Anthodites are displayed, the guided tour is as impressive as it is educational. Whether it's your first time underground, or you're an expert, our staff of knowledgeable and well trained guides are ready to answer any question. Individuals, families, tour and/or school groups are welcome all year long... regardless of the weather above.
"Reflecting Pool", an optical illusion which forces the viewer to believe the pool of water is many feet deep, when it is only a few inches deep
Ogof Craig a Fynnon, South Wales • The cave is renowned as one of the most well-decorated caves in Britain. • The cave contains some early short crawling sections (and what is known as an arduous and uncomfortable boulder choke) and some wet passages with voluminous quantities of mud before developing into a series of large sections lavishly decorated with mud and calcite formations. The most spectacular of these is the Hall of the Mountain King, a large cavern liberally adorned with flowstone.
Speleothems in Hall of Mountain King, Ogof Craig a Fynnon, South Wales
Mammoth Cave • Beneath the sandstone-capped ridges of Mammoth Cave National Park lies the most extensive cave system on earth, with over 350 miles of passageway mapped and surveyed. And yet after 4,000 years of intermittent exploration, the full extent of this water-formed labyrinth remains a mystery.
Did You Know? • Creatures that spend their entire lives in Mammoth Cave adapt to the dark world. Some types of cave fish, for example, do not grow eyes – supporting these extra unnecessary organs would consume precious energy in their nutrient-poor environment.
Fairy Cave • Glenwood is home to many caves, including Fairy Caves and Glenwood Caverns, whose subterranean caverns, grottoes, and labyrinths are truly a marvel of nature (the area was touted as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" upon its public opening in 1887). Now part of the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park (think tourist trap), the still-amazing caves are easily accessible via the Iron Mountain Tramway, a seven-minute gondola ride affording a bird's-eye view of Glenwood Springs and the surrounding landscape.
Caverns of Sonora, Texas • The Caverns of Sonora is recognized as the most beautiful cave in Texas and one of the most beautiful show caves in the world. The Caverns of Sonora is located on Interstate 10, about half-way between Big Bend National Park and San Antonio Texas. In 1966 the cavern was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior, and is one of the most active caves in the world with over 95% of its formations still “growing”.
Carlsbad Caverns • As you pass through the Chihuahuan Desert and Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico and west Texas—filled with prickly pear, chollas, sotols and agaves—you might never guess there are more than 300 known caves beneath the surface. The park contains 116 of these caves, formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone, creating some of the largest caves in North America.
