Find out such cave types like solution caves, sea caves, lava-tube caves, coral caves.

Solution caves are by far the most numerous and extensive type of caves found. The Flint Ridge- Mammoth Cave System of Kentucky is presently over 400 miles in length and is constantly expanding as exploration continues. Solution caves also contain the largest underground chambers. The Big Room of Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, for example, is over 300 feet high, 600 feet wide, and 4000 feet long. Most cave diving takes place in caves of this type.

Lava is molten rock that has been extruded from a volcano onto the surface of the earth. On an informal basis, the rock formed by the cooling and solidification of the lava is also commonly called lava, although it can be given a formal geologic name based on its mineral composition.

Sea caves are formed by the hydraulic battering-ram effect of waves crashing against cliffs. There is a common misconception that sea caves form in beds of soft rock that occur at sea level and are overlain by harder rocks. However, the examination of numerous sea caves has revealed that vertical planes of weakness, such as faults, promote the development of sea caves regardless of the rock type. Many sea caves have spectacularly large entrances and some, like Sea Lion Cave in Oregon or Anemone Cave in Maine, have enormous rooms. However, passage development in sea caves is usually not extensive. Sea caves rarely exceed several hundred feet in length because the force of the waves is dissipated rapidly against the walls of the cave.

Coral is famous for its ability to secrete calcium carbonate and build large limestone reefs. Most living reefs occur in tropical oceans and support extremely diverse communities of marine organisms. Mounds or ridges of coral may grow outward slowly and bridge across intervening open areas. Coral caves are created when the tops of neighboring coral heads grow together to create tunnels within the reef. The passages tendto be small, short, and irregular. Projecting coral heads may snag a diver and backing out of a small cave is often very difficult.