Difference between cave and cavern

Cave and cavern are two of the geographical settings that can be differentiated by their openings and formation. It will be pertinent to mention here that all caverns are caves, but not all caves are caverns since caverns are one of the types of caves. The cave is the underground chamber in a hillside or cliff that has only one opening and is not in the reach of sunlight. Contrary to this, cavern is the special type of cave which is much bigger than cave and has multiple openings or chambers in it. What makes caverns different from caverns is that they form in soluble rock and possess the ability to grow speleothems.

Comparison chart

What is Cave?

The cave is the opening in the ground, most notably in the hillside or in the cliffs where the sunlight cannot reach. This opening does not usually have a very extended area and only has one opening or the chamber. The formation of the cave is recognized as the natural process, which is a process that takes time and can take hundreds of years to form. The formation of the rocks is quite similar to that of the other geographical settings, since they are also the result of geographical processes such as water erosion, atmospheric influence and chemical processes and, above all, tectonic forces. Today, the caves are more than just a natural setting, since there are also artificial caves; they add to the beauty of the specific area. The caves are one of the most attractive places for tourists, the heat inside makes it even more useful in colder regions. The process of origin and development of caves is known as speleogenesis and the compact study in this sense is called speleology. Caves are classified into two basic categories based on their origin; one is the main cave and the other is the secondary cave. Caves formed after the host rock solidifies are known as primary caves, while caves resulting from rock consolidation and deposition are known as secondary caves. There are several types of caves; the most prominent of these are coral caves, ice caves, volcanic caves, and tectonic caves. Caves are classified into two basic categories based on their origin; one is the main cave and the other is the secondary cave. Caves formed after the host rock solidifies are known as primary caves, while caves resulting from rock consolidation and deposition are known as secondary caves. There are several types of caves; the most prominent of these are coral caves, ice caves, volcanic caves, and tectonic caves. Caves are classified into two basic categories based on their origin; one is the main cave and the other is the secondary cave. Caves formed after the host rock solidifies are known as primary caves, while caves resulting from rock consolidation and deposition are known as secondary caves. There are several types of caves; the most prominent of these are coral caves, ice caves,

What is Cavern?

Caverns are recognized as the largest and deepest type of caves that have multiple openings or chambers. It will not be wrong to say that a cavern can consist of several caves that join together. Apart from the field of geography, caverns are called large caves or the set of several smaller cases that are linked together through corridors. When we define caves from the eyes of geography, there are many other differentiating factors that distinguish it from the concept of typical caves. According to the definition of caverns in the field of geography, these are the special type of caves that are formed in soluble rocks and possess the ability to grow speleothems. Caverns only occur naturally as they form under a specific atmospheric condition where minerals are deposited through chemical reactions. Caverns are formed due to the dissolution of soluble rocks such as dolomite, limestone, and gypsum. They are the special types of caves that are limited to soluble rocks and have the ability to grow speleothems. The other thing that marks caverns is that they don’t rise up like caves and are extremely deep towards the surface of the ground.

cave vs cavern

• The natural underground chamber in the hillside or cliff is known as a cave. On the other hand, caverns are the type of caves that are formed in soluble rocks and have the ability to develop speleothems.
• Caves only have one chamber or opening, while caverns have multiple openings. Sometimes the caverns consist of small caves that are interconnected with each other through corridors.
• All caves are caves, but not all caves are caves since the latter is the type of cave.
• Caves can be formed by different rock materials that can be suppressed due to tectonic movement, while caverns are specifically formed by soluble rocks.