lava cave

lava cave

      cave or cavity formed as a result of surface solidification of a lava flow during the last stages of its activity. A frozen crust may form over still mobile and actively flowing liquid rock as a result of surface cooling. A dwindling supply of lava may then cause the molten material to drain out from under this crust and leave long cylindrical tunnels. Volcanic gases from bubbles in the lava collect under the tunnel roof and support it. As this gas mixes with air from vents in the roof, more intense heating from oxidation may raise the temperature sufficiently to re-fuse the ceiling rock, which then drips with the remelted lava. Such lava may congeal in place to form rude stalactites. Caves of this type commonly have solidified lava streams along their floors; in places, the roofs may collapse to form pits or depressions on the ground surface.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • lava cave — lava cave, a cave formed when lava hardens at the surface while beneath it flows out from under the hardening crust …   Useful english dictionary

  • Lava cave — A lava cave is a cave that has formed in lava flows.Being formed volcanic rock, lava caves have different features to caves in other types of rock. Stalactites can form by molten lava dripping from the roof of the cave and solidifying. Lava caves …   Wikipedia

  • lava cave —    , lava tube    1. A cave that formed in a partly cooled, broadly basaltic or phonolitic lava, not by erosion but by molten material flowing away. In most cases, an initial active lava conduit is formed when a flowing surface lava stream has a… …   Lexicon of Cave and Karst Terminology

  • cave — cavelike, adj. /kayv/, n., v., caved, caving. n. 1. a hollow in the earth, esp. one opening more or less horizontally into a hill, mountain, etc. 2. a storage cellar, esp. for wine. 3. Eng. Hist. a secession, or a group of seceders, from a… …   Universalium

  • Cave — For other uses, see Cave (disambiguation). Cavern redirects here. For other uses, see Cavern (disambiguation). Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to… …   Wikipedia

  • Lava tube — ImageStackRight|300 Lava tubes are natural conduits through which lava travels beneath the surface of a lava flow, expelled by a volcano during an eruption. They can be actively draining lava from a source, or can be extinct, meaning the lava… …   Wikipedia

  • lava karst —    A non karst term. Subsurface openings formed in lava flows due to outflow of liquid lava from beneath a solidified crust or due to gas blisters. Tubes or tunnels are formed with such pseudokarst features as lava stalactites and also collapse… …   Lexicon of Cave and Karst Terminology

  • lava —    Ā, a ā, ā pele (rough lava); pāhoehoe (smooth).   Also: lua i pele, ōahi; alā (hard).    ♦ Lava flow, ā pele, pele; wa a (rare).    ♦ Lava cave, a a ā.    ♦ Open place (often with vegetation) surrounded by lava, kīpuka, kīpohopoho …   English-Hawaiian dictionary

  • lava tube —    See lava cave …   Lexicon of Cave and Karst Terminology

  • Cave digging — is the practice of enlarging undiscovered cave openings to allow entry. Cave digging usually follows a search of mountains and valleys in karst topography for new caves. Often it takes place underground in places where a large passage has clearly …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”