• Question: Im really intrested in studeing speleology my friend just says that its only caves but there is more to it than just caves isnt there?

    Asked by sjthescientist to Sarah, Panos, Michael, Mark, MarkF on 22 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Mark Fogg

      Mark Fogg answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      I had to look that up and yes, Speleology is a fancy way of saying Cave Studies, but you also need to know elements of geology, geography, surveying, biology, archaeology and palaeontology. I think it would be quite fascinating to visit some of the worlds truly magnificent caves, such as those in China, found at the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Quang Binh province. Then to find out how they were formed, what they are made of, what lives in them, how big they are and what used to live in them.
      Sounds like a good job if you want to travel the world. 🙂

    • Photo: Sarah Burl

      Sarah Burl answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      i am afraid I only know about caving which is great fun although I have a fear of black water!
      I hadn’t heard of the word Speleolgy until now but looked it up and found it sounded really interesting like geology but in caves. I am sure finding a cave that no one else has found would be exciting!

    • Photo: Mark Travis

      Mark Travis answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      Not a big speleology expert I am afraid! But your friend is right that it involves the study of caves and underground spaces. BUt is is more than just looking at caves- it is looking at how they were formed, and change over time, their make-up, their physical properties, etc. It is a complex science that involves aspects of chemistry (finding out what makes up the caves), biology (what lives in them), geology (how they were formed and how they change) and other things I am not an expert in…..

      So, if it something that interests you, go for it! Learn more about it by doing a bit of research on the internet is my advice, and if you are still keen see if there are local people who can help you get more involved.

    • Photo: Panos Soultanas

      Panos Soultanas answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      Hello,

      Yes, speology comes from the Greek words ‘spelea’ (cave) and ‘logos’ (study off). I am sure it will involve many other things like geography, climate, earth texture (geology), chemistry and many more.

    • Photo: Michael Loughlin

      Michael Loughlin answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      well its the study of how they are formed, their architecture and if you go into Spelunking then it is exploring them…Me, I’d want to look at what bacteria grow in there and whether they allow other organism to grow as well

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