### formation:

Cave
* All caves have different minerals, life forms, sights and sounds.
* Many caves act as natural traps for flora and fauna, and species of now-extinct animals
  - begin forming during the process of carbonation
* Many caves contain beautiful and unique mineral formations
  - pits which require special equipment and training to safely decend and ascend
  - have passages that wind around in a circle and connect back to themselves
  - require ropes, ladders and advanced climbing techniques
* Most caves are formed by groundwater circulating below the water table
  - the host area for thousands of bats
  - remain at the same temperature year round
  - tend to be warm and humid
* Some caves are bell-shaped and pierced by shafts of sunlight
  - closed during spring flooding
  - host to hundreds or thousands of individuals
  - open throughout the year, although days of the week vary by season
* Some caves contain rare or endangered species of animals
  - streams and pools
  - end at a dome
  - even have winds
  - require that lint, mud and oil sometimes be cleaned from formations and walls
  - tend to flood quickly
* allow water to move quickly.
* also are sites of male initiation
  - form in many other rock types, and by many other processes
  - harbor a varied assemblage of organisms linked in a complex and sensitive ecosystem
  - provide a source of groundwater in many areas
* are a fragile ecosystem, requiring care and attention
  - lot more than dark, damp, holes in the ground
  - precious natural resource
* are a very delicate environment that can be easily damaged
  - fragile environment
* are also products of chemical weathering
  - sources of historical artifacts
  - very cold , so most spelunkers wear heavy clothing for warmth
  - ambiguous spaces, offering both protection and shelter but can also trap and imprison
  - cavities in the earth formed by any of a variety of geological processes
* are common in karst terrains
  - worldwide, wherever karst terranes are found
  - dark, just like lakes are wet and mountains are high
  - delicate environments that are easily impacted by human visitation
  - elongate cavities in limestone produced by solution and aided by mechanical erosion
  - excellent locations to search for animal bones
  - extremely fragile environments
* are formed by the dissolution of limestone
  - various geologic processes and can be variable sizes
  - when carbonic acid in ground water dissolves limestone
  - fragile environments containing animals adapted to life in complete darkness
  - geological features and form in a variety of ways
* are home to many aquatic species and bat populations
  - unusual and in some cases undescribed life forms
  - salamanders, bats, and other creatures, some of which are endangered
  - important habitats for a variety of plants and animals, some of which are endangered
  - isolated ecosystems low in organic nutrients
* are located in bats
  - canyons
  - deserts
  - rocks
  - more than just dark, there is no light
* are natural openings in the earth that seem to invite exploration
  - within the earth large enough for a person to enter
  - shelters, offering shade and protection from wind, rain, and snow
  - things
  - one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world
  - only stable within the limestone layer that they exist
  - potentially dangerous environments, yet they are easily damaged
  - sacred ceremonies sites utilized by the shamans
  - sensitive environments
  - sunless places, dark and foreboding, filthy dirty and dangerous
  - uncommon in most parts of the world
  - unforgiving environments
  - unique and sensitive environments
* are used for archeology
  - hide
  - hiding
  - homes
  - play
  - refuge
  - sleeping
  - usually wet because water seeps through the cave roof and falls on the floor and walls
* are very dark and sometimes dangerous
  - important to the evolution of man and animals
  - visited by many surface-living animals, including humans
* are, essentially, nonrenewable resources.
* can also protect spawning salmon from brown bear and other predators.
* can be cold, dark, and damp places
  - locations of sensitive wildlife or cultural resources
  - flood in a short time
  - serve as a part of scientific resources
* contains fragile formations which can easily be destroyed through carelessness or vandalism.
* develop through underground streams carving out the underground minerals.
* form in limestone which is the sedimentary rock made of the mineral calcite
  - naturally by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground
* have a wide variety of formations that take thousands of years to develop
  - unique rock formations, fragile species of wildlife and cold, clear flowing waters
* house important biological, cultural and geological resources.
* includes gaps
  - sections
  - stalactites
* occur in any kind of rock, from hard, hard granite to soft sandstone
  - when waves force their way into cracks in the cliff face
* play an important role in the history of religion.
* provide natural shelter from wind, rain, and predators
  - several different types of habitats
  - the kind of protected shelter in which bats can thrive
* start from small cracks in rocks.
* vary considerably in their internal climate
  - in size and shape, and many have large openings to the surface
+ Caving, Modern caving
  * Caves can generally be explored during any season of the year. Most caves remain at the same temperature year round
  - Spelunkers and their equipment: Hobbies :: Caves
  * Spelunkers need reliable equipment, because the descent into a cave is like mountain climbing in the opposite direction. Basic spelunking equipment is similar to what mountain climbers use. Strong ropes make climbing possible and special tools attach ropes to cave walls. Special footwear makes it easier to explore hard to reach places, and hard hats protect spelunkers from falling rocks above. One torch attaches to a spelunker's helmet so it is with him or her at all times. Caves are also very cold, so most spelunkers wear heavy clothing for warmth