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| What Are Caves? |  Click on the Picture for Larger Image |
Click on the Picture for Image Information
Just looking at the picture of the person standing in a cave above makes it pretty clear to that caves are much more complicated that a simple hole in the ground so we need something a bit more complex...
Complex Definition: Caves are any natural space below the surface which extends beyond the twilight zone, and that is accessible to humans.
This definition is accurate with one exception, even spaces beneath the surface of the earth exist as any cave does without a surface entrance and should be considered caves as well.
Caves can be classified by the type of rock they form in and how they form. The most common caves are formed in limestone and as lava tubes in basaltic rock. Other types of caves are less common and form in gypsum, granite, talus, quartzite, ice, and sandstone. In this section you will learn more about what caves are and how they form.
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