Alternate meanings: Cave (disambiguation)

This article is about natural caves; for artificial caves used as dwellings, such as those in north China, see yaodong.

A cave is a natural underground void large enough for an adult human to enter. Some scientists stipulate that it must be large enough that some portion of it will not receive daylight; however, in popular usage, the term includes smaller spaces like cliff cavities, rock shelters and sea caves. Speleology is the scientific exploration and study of all aspects of caves. The act of exploring a cave for recreation is called 'caving', 'potholing', or occasionally (only in the USA) 'spelunking'.