As a caver/speleologist, I am interested in the proposed/accepted mechanisms for cave generation in the YEC...
By cave, I mean solutional cave or cave system in limestone, generated by phreatic (flooded/below water table) and vadose ("river" erosion above the water table) action. Many cave systems around the world have many miles of passageway (>100 miles in some cases), and huge vertical development (>1 mile in exceptional cases). See
http://panda.bg.univ.gda.pl/~dbart/rys/wronia_b.gif and
http://panda.bg.univ.gda.pl/~dbart/rys/lampo.gif
For starters, in a YE scenario, how are extensive cave systems and their formations (stals, columns, etc) generated in the time frame?
More problematically, how do more complicated cave systems arise? For example, cave systems that develop below the water-table that subsequently dry as a result of lowering sea-level, allowing extensive formations to develop, then finally reflood as sea-levels rise again. See
http://www.dir-mexico.com/agpic13big.htm
any offers?
This message has been edited by cavediver, 06-29-2005 10:12 AM
This message has been edited by cavediver, 06-30-2005 06:19 AM
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