Caves provide a void space in the earth that proves an ideal environment for certain types of low-temperature mineral deposition. Beyond a transitional zone near the entrance, the temperature is constant and little different from the mean annual temperature of the locality. The cave environmental can be characterized as wet, mildly alkaline, and oxidizing. The pH of water ranges from 7 to 8, the eH from +0.4 to +0.6 volts. Moving water invades caves as flowing streams, as vertical flows from shafts and open fractures, and as seepage water percolating through joints and small fractures from the land surface. Caves can act as sinks for carbon dioxide because they are usually well ventilated. Measured CO2 pressures are in the range of 10−2.2 to 10−2.9 atm compared with 10−3.5 at the surface.
The mineralizing solutions in caves are the seeping and flowing waters. Cave water is a dilute, low-temperature solution, containing mainly the ions Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, HCO− 3, SO2− 4, and Cl−. Sodium...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Andrieux, C., 1962. Etude cristallographique des édifices stalactitiques, Bull. Soc. fr. Minéral. Cristallogr., 85, 67–76.
Andriex, C., 1965. Morphogenese des hélicites monocristallines, Bull Soc. fr. Minéral. Cristallogr., 88, 163–171.
Baker, George, and Frostick, A. C., 1947. Pisoliths and ooliths from some Australian caves and mines, J. Sed. Petrology, 17, 39–67.
Baker, George, and Frostick, A. C., 1951. Pisoliths, ooliths and calcareous growths in limestone caves at Port Campbell, Victoria, Australia, J. Sed. Petrology, 21, 85–104.
Bridge, P. J., 1973a. Urea, a new mineral, and neotype phosphammite from Western Australia, Mineralog. Mag., 39, 346–348.
Bridge, P. J., 1973b. Guano minerals from Murra-el-elevyn Cave, Western Australia, Mineralog. Mag., 39, 467–469.
Bridge, P. J., 1974. Guanine and uricite, two new organic minerals from Peru and Western Australia, Mineralog. Mag., 39, 889–890.
Curl, Rane L., 1962. The aragonite-calcite problem, Bull. Natl. Speleol. Soc., 24, 57–73.
Curl, Rane L., 1972. Minimum diameter stalactites, Bull. Natl. Speleol. Soc., 34, 129–136.
Curl, Rane L., 1973. Minimum diameter stalagmites, Bull. Natl. Speleol. Soc., 35, 1–9.
Fischbeck, Reinhard, and Müller, German, 1971. Monohydrocalcite, hydromagnesite, nesquehonite, dolomite, aragonite, and calcite in speleothems of the Frankische Schweiz, Western Germany, Contr. Mineralogy Petrology, 33, 87–92.
Hicks, Forrest L., 1950. Formation and mineralogy of stalactites and stalagmites, Bull. Natl. Speleol. Soc., 12, 63–72.
Hill, Carol A., 1976. Cave Minerals: Huntsville, Alabama: National Speleological Society, 137p.
Holland, Heinrich D., et al., 1964. On some aspects of the chemical evolution of cave waters, J. Geol., 72, 36–67.
Kaye, Clifford A., 1959. Geology of Isla Mona, Puerto Rico, and notes on the age of Mona Passage, U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 317-C, 141–178.
Mélon, J., and Bourguignon, P., 1962. Etude du Mondmilch de quelque grottes de Belgigue, Bull. Soc. fr. Mineral. Cristallogr., 85, 234–241.
Moore, George W., 1954. The origin of helictites, Natl. Speleol. Soc. Occ. Paper No. 1, 16p.
Moore, George W., 1962a. The growth of stalactites. Bull. Natl. Speleol. Soc., 24, 95–106.
Moore, George W., 1962b. Role of earth tides in the formation of disc-shaped cave deposits, Proc. 2nd Internat. Cong. Speleol., 1, 500–506.
Moore, George W., 1970. Checklist of cave materials, Natl. Speleol. Soc. News, 28, 9–10.
Murray, John W., and Dietrich, Richard V., 1956. Brushite and taranakite from Pig Hole Cave, Giles County, Virginia, Am. Mineralogits, 41, 616–626.
Thrailkill, John, 1968. Dolomite cave deposits from Carlsbad Caverns, J. Sed. Petrology, 38, 141–145.
Thrailkill, John, 1971. Carbonate deposition in Carlsbad Caverns, J. Geol., 79, 683–695.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1981 Hutchinson Ross Publishing Company
About this entry
Cite this entry
White, W.B. (1981). Cave minerals . In: Mineralogy. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_21
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_21
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-87933-184-9
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-30720-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive