Glossary of caving and speleology
There are a number of terms that are used in connection with caves, caving and speleology. The following is an incomplete list.
A
- Airbell An enclosed air space in a flooded tube between the water and the roof
- Anthodite
A speleothem (cave formation) composed of long needle-like crystals situated in clusters which radiate outward from a common base.
B
- Belly crawl
- A passage that is very low.
- Biospeleology
A branch of biology dedicated to the study of organisms that live in caves and are collectively referred to as troglofauna.
- Boneyard
- An intricate maze of limestone with many holes where material has dissolved away.[1]
- Boulder choke
A collection of large rocks or rubble that obstructs the passage of a cave or mine. In order to progress through passages, cavers often need to negotiate or clear boulder chokes.
- Buffoon
- Also called a speleo-buffoon or cave-buffoon, a derogatory term referring to cavers who are unprepared and make poor decisions.[2]
C
- Cave conservancy
A specialized land trust that primarily manages caves or karst features in the United States.
- Cave digging
The practice of enlarging undiscovered cave openings to allow entry.
- Caver
- Someone who explores caves for recreation, a synonym for spelunker[3]
- Caving
- The sport of exploring caves, a synonym for spelunking[4]
- Cupola
Recess, indentation, or cavity in the ceiling of a lava tube, a kind of cave formation.
K
- Karst
A landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks.
P
- Pit
- A vertical space for which ascending or rappelling equipment is required.[2]
- Pseudokarst
Similar to karsts, but created by different mechanisms.
R
- Cave rescue
A highly specialized field of wilderness rescue in which injured, trapped or lost cave explorers are medically treated and extracted from various cave environments.
- Resurgence
The point where water emerges from an aquifer.
S
- Speleogen
A geological formation within a cave that has been created by the removal of bedrock, rather than as a secondary deposit.
- Speleogenesis
The origin and development of caves, the primary process that determines essential features of the hydrogeology of karst and guides its evolution.
- Spelunker
- Someone who explores caves as a hobby,[2] a synonym for caver
- Spelunking
Exploring caves as a hobby,[2] a synonym for caving
- Squeeze
- A tight passage.
- Stygofauna
Small aquatic animals living in caves and aquifers.
- Sump
A cave that is submerged under water. A sump may be static, with no inward or outward flow, or active, with continuous through-flow. Static sumps may also be connected underwater to active stream passage. When short in length, a sump may be called a duck.
- Suspension trauma
Also known as harness hang syndrome (HHS), or orthostatic intolerance, is an effect which occurs when the human body is held upright without any movement for a period of time.
- Swallow-hole
The point where water drains from the surface into a cave system.
T
- Terrace
- A series of dams made of rimstone that slopes gently.[5]
- Troglobite
An animal that lives entirely in the dark parts of caves
- Troglofauna
Small, non-aquatic cave-dwelling animals.
W
See also
References
- "Natural Entrance Self-Guided Tour". National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2017-09-29.
- "Caves & Caving: Glossary". uppercumberlandcaving.net.
- "caver". dictionary.cambridge.org.
- "What You Need to Know About Spelunking". Travel Channel.
- "The Western Australian Speleological Group". www.wasg.org.au.
External Links
- A Lexicon of Cave and Karst Terminology with Special Reference to Environmental Karst Hydrology (PDF) -- A free, comprehensive dictionary of caving and speleological terms.
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