cavesurface

Cavesurface refers to the exposed interior surfaces of a cave, including the rock walls, floor, and ceiling, as well as mineral crusts and deposits that have formed on them. These surfaces result from the interaction of the host rock with groundwater, air, and biological activity over time. In carbonate caves, the primary rock is typically limestone or dolostone, and the cave surfaces reflect the texture and composition of the bedrock, often modified by dissolution, abrasion, and secondary mineralization.

Formation and modification: The initial cave surface is shaped during speleogenesis when acidic water dissolves rock, enlarging conduits and removing roughness. Subsequent processes—water percolation, dripping, and air flow—continue to weather and sculpt the surfaces. Coatings of calcite, aragonite, gypsum, or hydrous minerals can form on the cave surface, creating flowstones, crusts, draperies, and other deposits that record past hydrological conditions. On many caves, microbial mats and biofilms also color and alter surfaces.

Characteristics: Cave surfaces vary in color, texture, and mineralogy, depending on rock type and depositional history. Wet surfaces may appear glossy with mineral coatings, whereas dry or eroded sections reveal rough bedrock. Speleothems—stalactites, stalagmites, columns—grow from surfaces where mineral-laden waters deposit calcium carbonate or other minerals.

Importance: The cave surface is a key record of paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental conditions, preserved in mineral coatings and stalagmites. It also hosts specialized microfauna and microbiomes and is a focus for cave science and conservation.