Cave-in

A cave-in is a collapse of a geologic formation, mine or structure which may occur during mining, tunneling, or steep-walled excavation such as trenching. Geologic structures prone to spontaneous cave-ins include alvar, tsingy and other limestone formations, but can also include lava tubes and a variety of other subsurface rock formations. Glacier caves and other ice formations are very prone to collapse from exposure to warm temperatures or running water.

In mining, the term roof fall[1] is used to refer to many types of collapses, ranging from the fall of a single flake of shale to collapses that form sink holes that reach to the surface. However, roof falls in mining are not all accidental. In longwall mining and retreat mining, miners systematically remove all support from under large areas of the mine roof, allowing it to settle just beyond the work area. The goal in such mining methods is not to prevent roof fall and the ensuing surface subsidence, but rather to control it.

## Contents

* 1 Definition
* 1.1 Etymology
* 2 Causes
* 3 Early recorded cave-in casualties
* 4 Prevention
* 5 Geological formations
* 6 See also
* 7 References

## Definition

"Cave in" \- If the overhead ceiling collapses onto the tunnel.

### Etymology

The word cave comes from the Latin "cave" or "cavēre" \- meaning to beware. [2][3]

## Causes

Cave-ins are commonly caused by leakage from old pipelines, which weakens rock and soil near the leak.[4] For this reason, poor drainage and heavy rain or snowfall are also risk factors for cave collapse. Cave-ins can also be caused by weathering, such as repeated freezing and thawing or tree roots growing through the roof of a cave.[4]: 7 In mining, many cave-ins are caused by poorly constructed roof support, such as excessively wide bolt spacing and insufficient support around a joint, especially in caves with a relatively thin roof.[5] In larger falls, insufficiently supported joints and weathering are the two most common causes of cave-ins.[5]: 24

## Early recorded cave-in casualties

Lost John is one of the earliest recorded casualties from an ancient excavation. Lost John was a Native American man from the 4th century BC who was likely mining with others in Mammoth Cave at the time of his death. After gypsum, he traveled 2 miles into the cave with the only source of light being a torch. While still navigating the area, he arrived at a crevice under a large six-ton boulder held by multiple small stones. Whilst excavating gypsum from the boulder, it dislodged from its place, causing it to fall onto the man, crushing and snapping his humerus.[6]

## Prevention

The most common measures taken to prevent cave-ins in excavation include keeping heavy equipment away from trench edges, inspecting trenches, and training workers on shoring.[7]

## Geological formations

* Alvar structures such as on the Stora Alvaret, Öland, Sweden
* Karst limestone such as in the Madagascar dry deciduous forests

## See also

* Mining Subsidence
* Outburst (mining)
* Rock burst

## References

1. ↑ "Glossary of Mining Terms". Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141005205750/http://www.coaleducation.org/glossary.htm#R.
2. ↑ "Cave-in definition". Oxford English Dictionary. https://www.oed.com/dictionary/cave_int?tab=meaning_and_use.
3. ↑ "Cave-in English Meaning". Cambridge Dictionary. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cave-in.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Canakci, Hanafi. "Collapse of caves at shallow depth in Gaziantep city center, Turkey: A case study". ResearchGate: 5–6. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hanifi-Canakci/publication/225370876_Collapse_of_caves_at_shallow_depth_in_Gaziantep_city_center_Turkey_A_case_study/links/558411ce08ae4738295e4117/Collapse-of-caves-at-shallow-depth-in-Gaziantep-city-center-Turkey-A-case-study.pdf.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 van der Merwe, J.N.; van Vuuren, J. J.. "Causes of Falls of Roof in South African Collieries". p. 19. https://researchspace.csir.co.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/47d15b73-d070-4af9-8f1a-a1e6f67c6feb/content.
6. ↑ Wagner, Dan (2024-01-09). "The Mummies of Mammoth Cave" (in en). https://www.greatamericanhikes.com/post/the-mummies-of-mammoth-cave.
7. ↑ Thwala, Wellington Didi; Mustapha, Zakari. "Management of Health and Safety Risk Associated with Excavation Cave-in". https://ieomsociety.org/dc2018/papers/73.pdf.

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Cave topics and lists by country

Glossary of caving and speleology

Main topics|

* Biospeleology
* Cave conservation
* Cave painting
* Cave survey
* Caving
* Diving
* Equipment
* Fauna
* Stygofauna
* Troglofauna
* Karst
* Speleogenesis
* Speleology
* Caves by country

Types and formation
processes|

* Anchihaline cave
* Cave-in
* Cenote
* Foiba
* Glacier cave
* Ice cave
* Karst spring
* Lava cave
* Ley tunnel
* Mine
* Exploration
* Pit cave
* Ponor
* Sea cave
* Show cave
* Sinkhole
* Spring
* Suffosion
* Sump
* Underground
* Lake
* River
* Waterfall

Speleothems
and Speleogens
(Cave formations)|

* Anthodite
* Boxwork
* Calcite rafts
* Cave pearl
* Cave popcorn
* Dogtooth spar
* Flowstone
* Frostwork
* Helictite
* Moonmilk
* Rimstone
* Shelfstone
* Snottite
* Soda straw
* Speleoseismite
* Stalactite
* Stalagmite
* Stalagnate
* Vug

Lists of caves|

| General|

* By country
* By depth
* By length
* Prehistoric

|

Africa|

* Somaliland
* South Africa

Americas|

* Belize
* Brazil
* Canada
* Guatemala
* Haiti
* Mexico
* United States
* Arkansas
* Maryland
* Missouri

Asia|

* China
* India
* Iran
* Israel
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Sri Lanka
* Turkey
* Vietnam

Europe|

* Austria
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* France
* Germany
* Gibraltar
* Greece
* Ireland
* Italy
* Poland
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Cantabria
* World Heritage Sites:
* Cave Art of Northern Spain
* Cave Art of Iberian Mediterranean Basin
* Cave Art of the Iberian Southern Tip
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* United Kingdom
* England
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales

Oceania|

* Australia
* New South Wales
* Western Australia
* New Zealand
* Papua New Guinea

Dwellings|

* Cave dweller
* Kome Caves
* Nok and Mamproug Cave Dwellings
* Yaodong

Popular culture|

* Diving into the Unknown
* Cave of Forgotten Dreams
* The Underground Eiger

Incidents|

* List of UK caving fatalities
* Alpazat cave rescue
* Riesending cave rescue
* Tham Luang cave rescue

Caving by country|

* Caving in New Zealand
* Caving in Tunisia
* Caving in the United Kingdom

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