Erosion of lava tubes
First stages of erosion edit
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Cracks form in the roof of lava tubes.
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The roof caves slowly in.
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Parts of the roof fall down onto the cave floor, sometimes as a whole plate like here.
Disintegration of the roof edit
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They leave a hole in the roof.
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The hole expands and deepens.
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A lava tube collapse trench is formed.
Remnants of lava tubes and ponds edit
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In the end, after thousands of years, only the most resistant rock formations survive.