Glossary of caving and speleology

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

A
Airbell: An enclosed air space in a flooded tube between the water and the roof

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.

Boneyard: An intricate maze of limestone with many holes where material has dissolved away.

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.

Caver: Someone who explores caves for recreation, a synonym for spelunker

Caving: The sport of exploring caves, a synonym for spelunking

Cupola: Recess, indentation, or cavity in the ceiling of a lava tube, a kind of cave formation.

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.

Resurgence: The point where water emerges from an aquifer.

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.

Speleothem: Geological formation by mineral deposits that accumulate over time in natural caves

Spelunker: Someone who explores caves as a hobby, a synonym for caver

Spelunking: Exploring caves as a hobby, a synonym for caving

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.

Swallow-hole: The point where water drains from the surface into a cave system.

T
Terrace: A series of dams made of rimstone that slopes gently.

Troglobite: An animal that lives entirely in the dark parts of caves

Troglofauna: Small, non-aquatic cave-dwelling animals.

W
Whaletail: A type of descender produced from a block of aluminium that applies a variable degree of friction.

Window: A hole in a thin wall that connects two chambers or passages.