 I'm sitting in a large, very dark cave in Sinks Canyon State Park near Lander, Wyoming. Have you ever wondered how such a cave came into being? Caves of all different sizes and shapes can be found throughout Wyoming. However, for the most part, caves are located within specific regions that have similarities in rock type and water flow. And though cave geology may vary from site to site, the basic science behind cave formation is similar. Caves are typically found in karst rock formations where the present rock type is soluble. Years of weathering from passage of water through such rock formations begin to form cave openings. Yet, water by itself is not enough to carve out an entire cave. For a large cave system such as this to develop, water needs help from carbonic and sulfuric acids commonly found in groundwater. As water is mixed with these naturally occurring acids, it finds its way to the cracks and fissures of the Earth's surface, eventually forming a cave. Over time, small cracks can develop into larger voids which widen into rooms that can form a system of connected caves known as caverns. Coming at you from under the Earth's surface, I'm Tina Russell from the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service, exploring the nature of Wyoming.