Lava cave

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 form when the top layer of molten lava cools but is still flowing underneath, leading to the formation of an open space.

New Zealand

In New Zealand lava caves can be found in Auckland and on Rangitoto Island.


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  • 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 —    , 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

  • lava cave — ▪ geology       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… …   Universalium

  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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