Breathing Stone and Honeycomb Walls: Inside Wind Cave
Stand near a small natural opening in the hills of southwestern South Dakota, and you might feel air rushing past your face. On another day, air may move in the opposite direction. This opening leads to Wind Cave, a place that is sacred to the Lakota people. The land around it became Wind Cave National Park in 1903. Below the prairie is a maze of passages in rock.
Why does the cave breathe?
The cave's wind is connected to air pressure. Air outside the cave does not always have the same pressure as air inside. When outside pressure drops below the pressure inside the cave, air can flow out through the small opening. When outside pressure rises above the pressure inside, air can flow in. The moving air gives the cave its name.
A stone honeycomb
Wind Cave is known for an unusual formation called boxwork. Thin fins of a mineral called calcite stick out from cave walls and ceilings. The fins cross one another and make patterns that look a little like honeycombs or the dividers inside a box. Boxwork is fragile, so visitors must take care not to touch it.
A long geological story
- sacred:
- Worthy of deep respect and considered holy.
- pressure:
- The force exerted by air or another substance.
- boxwork:
- A cave formation made of intersecting mineral fins.
- calcite:
- A mineral found in many kinds of rock and cave formations.
- fragile:
- Easily broken or damaged.
- limestone:
- A rock made mainly of calcium carbonate.
- geologists:
- Scientists who study Earth and its rocks.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where is Wind Cave National Park?
- 2Why is the opening important to Lakota people?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“Breathing Stone and Honeycomb Walls: Inside Wind Cave” is a explanatory article reading passage about Cave Geology, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (327 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.