Once the water table dropped, the dissolved minerals percolated through cracks and fissures leaving behind typical cavern deposits such as stalagmites, stalactites, pillars, and gours as well as gypsum and calcite deposits. Mammoth cave is a part of the Mammoth Cave National Park. It is primary tourist attraction in Kentucky and one of the most frequented caves in the National Parks system. The cavern system itself, if characterized by collapse of the overhanging ceiling, thereby enlarging the cavern. After a heavy rain, caverns in certain areas will increase in its water volume as the water table temporary rises.
Secondary concern is gradual deterioration of the cavern system by increase tourist activity.
I have compared the limestone cavern systems of these areas to the volcanic tube caverns on the Big Island and Kaua'i and underwater caverns I have explored. The primary difference is the large number of cavern features that can develop in an area predominated by limestone versus those predominated by basalt. I have also seen several programs on the Learning and Discovery channels that dealt specifically with Mammoth caves or other cavern systems world wide. On the internet I found over 20 sites dedicated to caves. I explored Virtual Cave to get an idea of what various cave features are like, and how they were formed.