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Story: Limestone country

Formation of caves

  • Rain trickles through the soil and becomes groundwater. Carbonic acid in groundwater seeps into fissures and dissolves limestone.
  • Carbonic acid slowly enlarges fissures in limestone, forming caves.
  • Water table is lowered. Some caves become dry.
  • Calcium carbonate dissolved from limestone or marble above the caves forms stalactites and stalagmites.

Click through an animation showing how caves are formed.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by Gareth Railton

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How to cite this page

Paul Williams, Limestone country – Dissolving rock, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/12391/formation-of-caves (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Paul Williams, published 1 March 2009.