Limestone caves are formed when acids attack and dissolve the calcite contained within limestone. This acid is usually carbonic acid (also known as soda water or carbonated water) formed when carbon dioxide combines with water. Most of the carbon dioxide comes from decaying leaves and vegetation in the soil.
Two factors control the formation of cave passageways: vertical and horizontal
fractures in the limestone, and the water table. A cave is formed by water moving slowly in the small fractures below the water table. The rate of flow below the
fractures changes as some limestone is easier to dissolve than others due to
variations in composition. Some channels grow larger as they take in more water and, as a result, they grow faster.
The cave-forming process may take thousands of years and can be stopped by either the lowering of the water table or the formation of air passageways in the cave
system due to surface erosion. In the Tri-State area, there are about 7,000 caverns – most carved out of limestone. Many of these caverns are rich with fossils.
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