Glossary of Karst and Cave Terms

Field, M.S., 1999, A lexicon of cave and karst terminology with special reference to environmental karst hydrology: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Environmental Assessment, EPA/600/R-99/006, 201 p.

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Term	Description
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sonar	A system for detecting obstacles by emitting sound and intercepting and interpreting echoes that bounce back. It is used by ...		View
sorption	1. A general term used to encompass the process of absorption and adsorption [22]. 2. All processes which remove solutes ...		View
sotano	(Spanish for cellar or basement.) Term used in Mexico for deep vertical shafts in limestone, which may or may not ...		View
spangolite	A cave mineral - Cu6Al(SO4)(OH)12.3H2O [11].		View
species	(singular or plural). A group of plants or animals whose members breed naturally only with each other and resemble each ...		View
specific capacity	The rate of discharge of water from a well per unit of drawdown. It is commonly expressed as gpm/ft or ...		View
specific conductance	A measure of the ability of water to conduct an electrical current expressed in micromhos per centimeter at 25øC [22].		View
specific discharge	The rate of discharge of ground water per unit area of a porous medium measured at right angle to the ...		View
specific drawdown	The amount of drawdown per unit discharge in a well [16].		View
specific gravity	The weight of a particular volume of water that a given body of rock or soil will hold against the ...		View
specific retention, water retaining capacity	The ration of the volume of water that a given body of rock or soil will hold against the pull ...		View
specific storage	The volume of water released from or taken into storage per unit volume of the porous medium per unit change ...		View
specific surface	The ratio of grain particle surface to the volume of grain particles [16].		View
specific yield	The ratio of the volume of water that a given mass of saturated rock or soil will yield by gravity ...		View
spelean	Of, pertaining to, or related to caves [10].		View
speleogen	A secondary cave structure formed by dissolving, such as a dome pit or a scallop [10].		View
speleogenesis	Although the term literally means the birth, origin or mode of formation of caves, the full extent of speleogenesis includes ...		View
speleogenetics	The totality of all processes which effect the creation and development of natural underground cavities. These comprise corrosion, erosion, and ...		View
speleologist	1. A scientist engaged in the study and exploration of caves, their environment, and their biota [10]. 2. Explorer of ...		View
speleology	1. Scientific study of caves, including aspects of sciences, such as geomorphology, geology, hydrology, chemistry and biology, and also the ...		View
speleothem	1. General term for all cave mineral deposits, embracing all stalactites, flowstone, flowers, etc. Most are formed of calcite whose ...		View
spelunker	See caver.		View
spelunking	See caving.		View
spencerite	A cave mineral - Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2.3H2O [11].		View
sphalerite	A cave mineral - ZnS [11].		View
spillway	A device that allows for the escape of excess water [16].		View
splash cup	The shallow concavity in the top of a stalagmite [10].		View
spongework	1. Randomly shaped cavities created by undirected phreatic dissolution in a massive, essentially homogeneous limestone. Fine examples occur in Carlsbad ...		View
spongework cave pattern	A complex maze cave pattern consisting of irregular interconnecting cavities with intricate perforation of the rock. The cavities may be ...		View
spontaneous potential	See self-potential.		View

Glossary references