While many lava tubes
consist primarily of a single conduit, it is not uncommon to have areas
where passages branch and rejoin. Braiding occurs most actively near the
leading portions of lava flows, and occurs because accretion of cooling
lava occurs faster than downcutting or erosion. Hence, braiding occurs
more often on the lower-gradient areas of the tube, that is, where the
surface that the lava is flowing over is less steep.
Unlike the case for limestone caves, braided mazes tend to reconnect rather than diverging into broad dendritic patterns. |
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Created: August 4, 2000
Author: Dave Bunnell |