# A certain land formation



## Miseo (May 13, 2016)

Hi, I'm trying to write the first chapter of my story, and the first part takes place in a leper colony. The colony itself is an undergrand series of caves, and the opening of the cave is a wide, steep depression in the ground. It's essentially a very wide hole. I've been looking through the Google but am unable to find out what these things are called. Cloesest I've come is "bowl-shaped depression" but it isn't really bowl shaped. It's really just a massive hole. Anyone know what they're called?


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## The_Scribbler (May 13, 2016)

Are you talking about something like catacombs?


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## Miseo (May 13, 2016)

Sort of. Catacombs are typically made by humans. These caves are similar in structure but they're natural. The opening of the caves is just a steep depression... Imagine an area of the underground caves network where there happens to be no cave ceiling. That way no one inside the cave (leper colony) can escape because the only opening has steep walls that can't be scaled. My question is, what is this type of opening called? I can't find a geological term for it.


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## The_Scribbler (May 13, 2016)

Honestly, that would just be called a 'Network of Underground Caves' as far as I know. Then just give it a name. Whatever the people who reside there might name it.


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## Miseo (May 13, 2016)

No... Its not the network that needs a name. I want to know what the geological name of the opening is. The entrance to the caves. What kind of geological formation is it when you have a wide, steep hole in the ground?


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## Miseo (May 13, 2016)

Imagine a wide, deep chasm in the ground. A giant hole. What are these called? That's what I need to know.


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## The_Scribbler (May 13, 2016)

I think that varies on what caused the hole. For instance if it was formed because of a volcano you might be thinking of a Maar.


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## Miseo (May 13, 2016)

That's a good point. Gotta consider the cause...

Perhaps a sinkhole might be what I'm looking for.


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## The_Scribbler (May 13, 2016)

For a sinkhole I _think _it's just called a crater, but I could be wrong.


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## Miseo (May 13, 2016)

That's possible... But crater brings to mind an image of impacts, so I'm not sure about it.


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## Terry D (May 13, 2016)

The wide, funnel-shaped depressions associated with caves are sinkholes.


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## Miseo (May 13, 2016)

That first picture is remarkably close to what I was imagining. Thanks! I guess it was sinkholes.


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