Glossary of caving and speleology

Updated on Dec 13, 2023

Edit

Comment

There are a number of terms that are used in connection with caves, caving and speleology. The following is an incomplete list.

A

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.

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.

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.

K

Karst - A landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks.

P

Pit - A vertical space for which ascending or rappelling equipment is required.

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.

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

Spelunking - Exploring caves as a hobby

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.