CAVE PEARL

small, almost spherical concretion of calcite that is formed in a pool of water in a cave and is not attached to the surface on which it forms. Occasionally saturated water drips into small pools with such vigour that a stalagmite cannot form. A bit of foreign matter may become coated with calcite, and slight movements of the water may keep the bit in motion while new layers of calcite are added. Concentric layers are added and polished in this way until the cave pearl becomes too large to remain in motion and becomes attached. Volcanic and tectonic caves Volcanic caves Caves of various types and sizes occur where volcanic rocks are exposed. These are caves formed by flowing lava and by the effects of volcanic gases rather than by dissolution of the bedrock. Because volcanic caves form very close to the land surface, they are easily destroyed by erosional processes. As a result, such caves are usually found only in recent lava flows, those that are less than 20,000,000 years old. Lava tubes These are the longest and most complicated of volcanic caves. They are the channels of rivers of lava that at some earlier time flowed downslope from a volcanic vent or fissure. Lava tubes develop best in highly fluid lava, notably a basaltic type known as pahoehoe. They rarely form in rough, clinkery aa flows or in the more massive block lavas. In pahoehoe flows volatile components remain in solution in the molten rock where they decrease both the rate at which the lava solidifies and its viscosity. Because of this, pahoehoe lava flows like a sticky liquid, sometimes rushing down steep slopes and forming lava falls. Volcanic and tectonic caves Tectonic caves Tectonic caves are formed by a mass movement of the bedrock. The rocks separate along joints or fractures, and are pulled apart mechanically. The resulting cave is usually a high, narrow fissure that has nearly planar walls with matching patterns on opposite sides of the passage. The ceiling is often a flat bed of rock that did not move or that moved along some different fracture. The floor of a tectonic cave may consist of massive bedrock or of a rubble of fallen blocks, or it may be covered with soil and other material washed in from the surface. Because tectonic caves are formed by mechanical processes, the most important characteristic of the bedrock is that it be mechanically strong. Massive, brittle rocks such as sandstones and granites are the best host rocks for tectonic caves. Although tectonic caves can be formed by any geologic force that causes rocks to move apart, the key mechanism is gravity sliding. The optimum setting for the development of tectonic caves occurs where massive rocks dip gently to the sides of ridges or mountains. The presence of shale layers between beds of massive sandstone can act as a lubricating layer and facilitate mechanical slippage. Gravity causes the massive rocks to slip and separate along vertical fractures, which then become tectonic caves. The amount of slippage must be small for the cave to maintain its roof. Too much slippage and consequent roof collapse will form an open canyon. Still more slippage can result in a landslide. Tectonic caves occur in many geologic settings and in great numbers, since they are produced by minor slippages in outcrops of massive sandstones, granites, basalts, and even limestone. Tectonic caves are among the most common caves, but they are rarely noticed or catalogued. They contain few, if any, features that attract attention and usually are quite small. Most such caves measure from several metres to a few hundred metres in length. Many of them consist of a single passage that extends into hillsides along major fractures. Some of the larger tectonic caves have a grid or network pattern that matches the pattern of the fractures or joints. William B. White