Editing Cave (section)

{{Short description|Natural void under the Earth's surface}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Redirect|Cavern}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
[[File:Lechuguilla Cave Pearlsian Gulf.jpg|thumb|[[Lechuguilla Cave]], [[New Mexico]], United States]]
'''Caves''' or '''caverns''' are natural voids under the [[Earth]]'s [[Planetary surface|surface]].<ref>{{Cite OED|cave|8886318356}}</ref> Caves often form by the [[weathering]] of rock and often extend deep underground. '''Exogene caves''' are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance underground (such as [[rock shelter]]s). Caves which extend further underground than the opening is wide are called '''endogene caves'''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jUm0BQAAQBAJ&pg=PA304|page=304|title=California Archaeology|first=Michael J.|last=Moratto|publisher=Academic Press|year=2014|isbn=9781483277356}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OEODBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA142|title=Reconstructing Quaternary Environments|last1=Lowe|first1=J. John|last2=Walker|first2=Michael J. C.|date=2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317753711|pages=141–42}}</ref>

[[Speleology]] is the science of exploration and study of all aspects of caves and the cave environment. Visiting or exploring caves for recreation may be called [[Caving|''caving'', ''potholing'', or ''spelunking'']].