Toggle search
Toggle menu
27.2K
1.7K
131
203.1K
SAS Gaming Wiki
Toggle preferences menu
Toggle personal menu
Not logged in
Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits.

Minecraft:Cave: Difference between revisions

From SAS Gaming Wiki
More actions
← Older edit
VisualWikitext
SyncBot (talk | contribs)
Bots
165,653 edits
Remove broken links to missing pages
SyncBot (talk | contribs)
Bots
165,653 edits
Sync: updated from Minecraft
 
(19 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{For}}
{{For}}
{{split|Noise cave|Carver cave|Underwater cave|reason=many technical differences that should be noted separately, like how canyons have their own page now. this page is quite long|timestamp=16 February 2025|discuss=Talk:Cave#Split_proposal_pt._2}}
{{split|Noise cave|Carver cave|Underwater cave|reason=Many technical differences that should be noted separately, like how canyons have their own page now. This page is quite long.|timestamp=16 February 2025|discuss=Talk:Cave#Split_proposal_pt._2}}
{{infobox structure
{{infobox structure
| image = Cave.png
| image = Cave.png
Line 13: Line 13:
}}
}}


A '''cave''' (also known as a '''cavern''') is a common terrain feature that generates in the [[Minecraft:Overworld]] and [[Minecraft:the Nether]]. Caves are usually found underground. They are open spaces of various sizes and shapes that often intersect with each other or with different generated structures, creating vast cave systems. They feature an abundance of [[Minecraft:ore]]s, as well as hostile mobs that spawn in the darkness.
A '''cave''' (also known as a '''cavern''') is a common [[Minecraft:terrain feature]] that generates in the [[Minecraft:Overworld]] and [[Minecraft:the Nether]]. Caves are usually found underground. They are open spaces of various sizes and shapes that often intersect with each other or with different [[Minecraft:generated structures]], creating vast cave systems. They feature an abundance of [[Minecraft:ore]]s, as well as hostile mobs that spawn in the [[Minecraft:Light|darkness]].


== Generation ==
== Generation ==
{{main|World generation#Noise caves|World generation#Carvers}}
{{main|World generation#Noise caves|World generation#Carvers}}


Caves are a part of Minecraft's terrain consisting of randomly generated cavities of [[Minecraft:air]], [[Minecraft:water]] or [[Minecraft:lava]], creating a hollow area and exposing other blocks generated with the terrain (such as [[Minecraft:stone]]s and ores).
Caves are a part of Minecraft's terrain consisting of randomly generated cavities of [[Minecraft:air]], [[Minecraft:water]] or [[Minecraft:lava]], creating a hollow area and exposing other blocks generated with the terrain (such as [[Minecraft:stone]]s and [[Minecraft:Ore (feature)|ores]]).


Caves generate at any altitude up to Y-level 256, and may span from the surface all the way to Y-level -59. Because of low light levels, hostile [[Minecraft:mob]]s and certain animals like bats and glow squids (only in water) often spawn in caves.
Caves generate at any [[Minecraft:altitude]] up to Y-level 256, and may span from the surface all the way to Y-level -59. Because of low [[Minecraft:light]] levels, hostile [[Minecraft:mob]]s and certain animals like [[Minecraft:bat]]s and [[Minecraft:glow squid]]s (only in water) often spawn in caves.


Caves come in two distinct types; noise caves and carver caves. Noise caves are generated along with the base terrain, while carver caves are added later on as generated features.
Caves come in two distinct types; noise caves and carver caves. Noise caves are generated along with the base terrain, while carver caves are added later on as generated features.
Line 28: Line 28:
== Noise caves ==
== Noise caves ==
[[File:Noise cave mechanism.jpg|thumb|The mechanics of noise cave generation explained by former Mojang dev [[Henrik Kniberg]].<ref>{{tweet|henrikkniberg|1364265702861987841|I get a lot of questions about how the new Minecraft noise caves work, and why we call them silly things like Cheese caves and Spaghetti caves. Here's an attempt to summarize it in a picture, hope it makes some kind of sense :)}}</ref>]]
[[File:Noise cave mechanism.jpg|thumb|The mechanics of noise cave generation explained by former Mojang dev [[Henrik Kniberg]].<ref>{{tweet|henrikkniberg|1364265702861987841|I get a lot of questions about how the new Minecraft noise caves work, and why we call them silly things like Cheese caves and Spaghetti caves. Here's an attempt to summarize it in a picture, hope it makes some kind of sense :)}}</ref>]]
Noise caves are generated using a noise. They come in the form of cheese caves, spaghetti caves, and noodle caves.<ref name="21w06a">{{snap|21w06a|February 10, 2021}}</ref> By adjusting noise frequency, hollowness (for cheese caves), and thickness (for spaghetti caves, noodle caves, and noise pillars), noise caves can vary in extremely diverse ways. When generating noise caves, the game firstly generates a random noise field, and "smudges" it using a mathematical trick called Perlin noise. These processes then result in a 3D noise image. Noise pillars also generate inside cave blobs.
Noise caves are generated using a noise. They come in the form of cheese caves, spaghetti caves, and noodle caves.<ref name="21w06a">{{snap|21w06a|February 10, 2021}}</ref> By adjusting noise frequency, hollowness (for cheese caves), and thickness (for spaghetti caves, noodle caves, and noise pillars), noise caves can vary in extremely diverse ways. When generating noise caves, the game firstly generates a random noise field, and "smudges" it using a mathematical trick called [[Minecraft:wikipedia:Perlin noise|Perlin noise]]. These processes then result in a 3D noise image. Noise pillars also generate inside cave blobs.


Noise caves are a part of the base terrain generation, and so do not intersect generated structures or mineral deposits. They are typically decorated with biome-specific features and decoration such as grass, sand, snow, or trees at higher y-levels, or dripstone pillars or clay deltas at lower y-levels. This is important, as cave noise is dually used to generate important Overworld terrain features such as overhangs or floating islands on the surface.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3VwY4JyzE</ref>
Noise caves are a part of the base terrain generation, and so do not intersect generated structures or mineral deposits. They are typically decorated with biome-specific features and decoration such as grass, sand, snow, or trees at higher y-levels, or dripstone pillars or clay deltas at lower y-levels. This is important, as cave noise is dually used to generate important Overworld terrain features such as overhangs or floating islands on the surface.<ref>{{YouTube link|ob3VwY4JyzE|Reinventing Minecraft world generation by Henrik Kniberg|Jfokus|May 9, 2022}}</ref>
{{-}}
{{-}}


Line 59: Line 59:
[[File:Deepslate speleothems.png|thumb|right|Another cave with pillars.]]
[[File:Deepslate speleothems.png|thumb|right|Another cave with pillars.]]


Noise pillars look like large dripstones or speleothems, but consist usually of stone. They can be found in any type of noise cave, making caves more realistic.
Noise pillars look like [[Minecraft:Dripstone (feature)|large dripstones]] or speleothems, but consist usually of stone. They can be found in any type of noise cave, making caves more realistic.
{{-}}
{{-}}


=== Aquifer ===
=== Aquifer ===
[[File:A lava lake.png|right|thumb|Example of two underground liquid bodies and a lava lake.]]
[[File:A lava lake.png|right|thumb|A water aquifer and a lava aquifer meeting in a cave, kept apart by stone.]]
[[File:Aquifers of different levels.jpg|thumb|Example of two water bodies of differing levels.]]
Aquifers are the part of terrain generation that decides what fills every non-solid block: water, lava, air or, near the boundary between two bodies of fluid, stone. They produce the underground lakes, the lava lakes below Y=-10, the water and lava falls in caves, and the stone "rims" that keep neighboring bodies of fluid apart. Rivers and oceans are ''not'' produced by aquifers: they are filled by the global fluid rule below, which applies whether aquifers are enabled or not. Note that [[Minecraft:lava lake]]s are also generated underground, but are not aquifers.
[[File:Lava Aquifer.jpg|thumb|Example of two large lava bodies.]]


Aquifers are liquid systems used to generate bodies of liquids in a world. Almost all liquids in a world (including those in carvers, noise caves, rivers, and oceans) are generated by aquifers. Aquifers may create underground liquid bodies that look like lakes, as well as water or lava waterfalls. Note that lava lakes are also generated underground, but are not aquifers.
The following describes ''[[Minecraft:Java Edition]]''. Aquifers were added in {{ver|1.18}} and the algorithm has been the same since.


Aquifers below Y=0 may sometimes generate with [[Minecraft:lava]] instead of water, with aquifers from y=-55 to -63 always consisting of lava.
==== Global fluid rule ====
Every dimension has a fluid rule that depends only on the Y coordinate:
* Below Y = min(−54, ''sea level''): lava, whose surface is at Y=-54.
* Otherwise: the dimension's default fluid (water in the Overworld) up to ''sea level''.


If two liquid bodies of different levels or types are too close, some blocks may be generated between them to separate them. These may resemble "rimstone dams" in caves.
Without aquifers this rule alone fills every cave: water below sea level and lava below Y=-54. This is why the Nether has its lava ocean at Y=32 and why the ''Caves'' [[Minecraft:world preset]] has water below Y=32 and lava below Y=-54. In a dimension whose sea level is below −54 (the ''Floating Islands'' preset, sea level −64) there is no lava layer at all.
 
==== Aquifer cells ====
[[File:Aquifer Cross Section.jpg|thumb|A cross section of terrain near a coast: pockets of water at several different heights, each one an aquifer cell.]]
When aquifers are enabled, the world is divided into cells of 16×12×16 blocks. The cell grid is shifted by 5 blocks on X and Z and by 1 block on Y relative to [[Minecraft:chunk]] boundaries. Each cell contains one randomly placed ''center'' (offset 0–9 on X and Z and 0–8 on Y inside the cell, chosen from the world seed and the cell coordinates). Each center carries a ''fluid status'': a fluid level and a fluid type, or "dry" for no fluid.
 
For a given block, the game looks at the 12 cells around it (2×3×2: the block's own cell and the next one on X and Z, and the rows above and below on Y) and finds the four centers nearest to the block by squared Euclidean distance. If the nearest center is clearly closer than the second one (the squared distances differ by 25 or more), the block simply takes the nearest center's status: its fluid type if the block is below that center's fluid level, air otherwise. Because of this, aquifers form a three-dimensional [[Minecraft:wikipedia:Voronoi diagram|Voronoi]] pattern, and fluid levels change in abrupt steps at cell boundaries rather than smoothly.
 
==== Fluid status of a cell ====
[[File:Aquifer meets ocean.png|thumb|A cave under the sea floor, flooded to sea level.]]
[[File:Aquifer land entrance.png|thumb|A partially flooded cell that reaches the surface, its level capped at the terrain.]]
The status of a center is computed from the ''preliminary surface level'' (a [[Minecraft:density function]], usually slightly below the actual terrain) sampled at 13 chunk offsets around the center: the center's own chunk, and 12 more chunks reaching 3 chunks west, 1 chunk east, and 1 chunk north and south. Each sampled surface is raised by 8 blocks before comparison.
# If the bottom of the cell (center Y − 12) is above the raised surface of its own chunk, the cell uses the global fluid rule. Cells high above ground therefore contain only air.
# If the top of the cell (center Y + 12) pokes above any sampled surface that lies below sea level, the cell is part of the sea: its level is sea level and its type is the default fluid.
# Otherwise the cell is underground and its flooding is decided by noise, unless it lies in the ''exclusion'' region (see below), in which case it is dry.
 
For an underground cell, the {{cd|fluid_level_floodedness}} noise (clamped to [−1, 1]) is compared against two thresholds. The thresholds depend on how far the cell is below the lowest sampled surface, but only if the center's own surface is below sea level; on land the depth does not matter.
{| class="wikitable"
! !! Surface above the center is under sea level, cell just below it !! Surface above the center is under sea level, cell 64+ blocks below it, or the center is on land
|-
| Fully flooded if noise > || −0.3 || 0.8
|-
| Partially flooded if noise > || −0.8 || 0.4
|}
Between those two depths the thresholds are interpolated linearly. In practice this means that cells under the sea floor are almost always flooded to sea level, while inland cells are mostly dry, with occasional partially flooded ones.
 
* A '''fully flooded''' cell has its level at the global fluid level (sea level, or −54 for lava).
* A '''partially flooded''' cell gets a level from the {{cd|fluid_level_spread}} noise, sampled once per 16×40×16 region: {{cd|40 × floor(Y / 40) + 20 + spread}}, where ''spread'' is in the range −10 to 10 in steps of 3. The level is additionally capped at the lowest sampled surface. Aquifer levels therefore cluster around Y = −20, 20, 60, 100, … (for example 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26 or 29 within the 0–40 band), and a partially flooded cell may lie above sea level, which is how lakes appear inside mountain caves.
* Otherwise the cell is '''dry'''.
 
[[File:Lava Aquifer.jpg|thumb|A large lava aquifer below Y=-10.]]
'''Fluid type.''' A flooded cell contains the default fluid, except that it becomes '''lava''' when its level is at or below Y=-10 and the absolute value of the {{cd|lava}} noise, sampled once per 64×40×64 region, exceeds 0.3. Because of the coarse sampling, lava aquifers come in large contiguous patches. Aquifers in the Overworld above Y=-10 are therefore always water, and the lava layer below Y=-54 exists regardless of aquifers.
 
'''Exclusion.''' Aquifers do not generate where {{cd|erosion < −0.225}} and {{cd|depth > 0.9}}, that is, deep below terrain with the lowest erosion values. This is the same region used to place the [[Minecraft:Deep Dark]] biome and extends somewhat beyond it, which is why deep dark caves are dry.
 
==== Barriers ====
[[File:Aquifers of different levels.jpg|thumb|Two water bodies of different levels, separated by a stone barrier.]]
[[File:Aquifer boundary.png|thumb|A barrier between two aquifers, with the thin stone "lid" above the lower one.]]
When the two (or three) nearest centers are almost equally close to a block (their squared distances differ by less than 25) and their statuses differ, the game computes a ''pressure'' between them and adds it to the terrain density at that block. If the sum becomes positive, the block is generated as stone instead of fluid or air. This is what separates bodies of fluid with different levels or types and what produces the stone "rims" around underground lakes.
 
The pressure depends on the block's height relative to the two fluid levels:
* Between the two levels it is positive and highest in the middle.
* Above the higher level it drops off quickly, so the stone "lid" over a lake is only a few blocks thick (up to about 5 blocks).
* Below the lower level it drops off slowly, so the stone floor and walls under a lake can be up to about 23 blocks thick.
* A water cell next to a lava cell always receives a strong fixed pressure, so water and lava are nearly always separated by stone.
The {{cd|barrier}} noise adds a random component to the pressure in a narrow band around the fluid levels, which makes the barriers irregular rather than flat. Two cells with the same status have zero pressure between them, so a body of fluid spanning several cells has no internal walls.
 
Stone placed by a barrier is ordinary stone: it is affected by [[Minecraft:surface rule]]s like any other terrain, which is why lake shores near the surface are covered in the biome's surface blocks.
 
==== Flowing fluids ====
[[File:Aquifer levels.png|thumb|Water flowing from a higher aquifer down into a lower one.]]
Fluid blocks generated near the boundary between cells with different statuses receive a [[Minecraft:Tick#Scheduled tick|scheduled tick]] after the chunk is generated. When such a block is next to air, the fluid starts flowing, which produces the waterfalls and lavafalls found in caves. Water generated directly above the lava layer (at Y=-54, when sea level is above it) is always scheduled. Fluid inside a single cell, or between cells with identical statuses, is never scheduled and stays still.
 
==== Configuration ====
In [[Minecraft:custom world generation]], aquifers are controlled by the optional {{cd|aquifers}} object, which holds the density functions {{cd|barrier}}, {{cd|fluid_level_floodedness}}, {{cd|fluid_level_spread}}, {{cd|lava}}, {{cd|exclusion}} and {{cd|surface_level}}; omitting the object disables aquifers. The {{cd|sea_level}} and {{cd|default_fluid}} fields of the noise settings define the global fluid rule.
{{-}}
{{-}}


Line 92: Line 148:
The ceiling of the main room, trunks, and branches is usually round, while the floor is usually flat.
The ceiling of the main room, trunks, and branches is usually round, while the floor is usually flat.


In contrast with noise caves' gradual and natural openings, carver caves frequently cut straight through surface blocks and generated features, either destroying them or inhibiting their generation. [[Minecraft:Sand]] often falls into caves generated near the surface of a desert or beach; craters in the sand can alert the player to caves below the surface. Caves cannot cut through red sand nor snow blocks, despite these generating as a surface block in several biomes.<ref>{{Cite bug|MC|16132|Cave carvers don't cut through snow blocks|date=May 23, 2013}}</ref> They frequently intersect and expose other natural structures such as other caves, monster rooms, carver canyons, and mineshafts.
In contrast with noise caves' gradual and natural openings, carver caves frequently cut straight through surface blocks and generated features, either destroying them or inhibiting their generation. [[Minecraft:Sand]] often falls into caves generated near the surface of a [[Minecraft:desert]] or [[Minecraft:beach]]; craters in the sand can alert the player to caves below the surface. Caves cannot cut through [[Minecraft:red sand]] nor [[Minecraft:snow block]]s, despite these generating as a surface block in several biomes.<ref>{{Cite bug|MC|16132|Cave carvers don't cut through snow blocks|date=May 23, 2013}}</ref> They frequently intersect and expose other natural structures such as other caves, [[Minecraft:monster room]]s, carver [[Minecraft:canyon]]s, and [[Minecraft:mineshaft]]s.


===Overworld carver cave===
===Overworld carver cave===
Line 127: Line 183:
-->
-->


A cave may connect to the surface of the terrain, creating natural entrances to the cave. They sometimes connect to the sea. Caves and mineshafts also regularly contain at least minor [[Minecraft:water]] or [[Minecraft:lava]] flows as well as caves being made up of a number of aquifers of water and lava.
A cave may connect to the surface of the terrain, creating natural entrances to the cave. They sometimes connect to the sea. Caves and [[Minecraft:mineshaft]]s also regularly contain at least minor [[Minecraft:water]] or [[Minecraft:lava]] flows as well as caves being made up of a number of aquifers of water and lava.


Some biome decoration might appear as well. For example, in jungle biomes, [[Minecraft:vines]] generate in carver caves near the surface, while [[Minecraft:sculk]] and related blocks may appear in the deep dark.
Some biome decoration might appear as well. For example, in [[Minecraft:jungle]] biomes, [[Minecraft:vines]] generate in carver caves near the surface, while [[Minecraft:sculk]] and related blocks may appear in the [[Minecraft:deep dark]].


=== Nether carver cave ===
=== Nether carver cave ===
Line 147: Line 203:
File:T-shaped carver cave with wide trunk.png|A T-shaped cave with a wide trunk.
File:T-shaped carver cave with wide trunk.png|A T-shaped cave with a wide trunk.
File:Zombie in a cavern.png|A small cave with a [[Minecraft:zombie]] inside.
File:Zombie in a cavern.png|A small cave with a [[Minecraft:zombie]] inside.
File:Medium-cave.png|A medium cave with a skeleton.
File:Medium-cave.png|A medium cave with a [[Minecraft:skeleton]].
File:Medium Connected Cavern.png|A sizable cave connected to several others.
File:Medium Connected Cavern.png|A sizable cave connected to several others.
File:Large cave.png|A large cave with gold ore, iron ore and coal ore.
File:Large cave.png|A large cave with [[Minecraft:gold ore]], [[Minecraft:iron ore]] and [[Minecraft:coal ore]].
File:MegaCave.png|A big cave with many types of ores and monsters.
File:MegaCave.png|A big cave with many types of ores and monsters.
File:Round Cave.png|An above-ground circular void.
File:Round Cave.png|An above-ground circular void.
Line 160: Line 216:
[[File:Underwater Cave.png|thumb|right|An underwater cave, flooded completely with water.]]
[[File:Underwater Cave.png|thumb|right|An underwater cave, flooded completely with water.]]


Underwater caves are completely flooded caves that may have underwater magma.
Underwater caves are completely flooded caves that may have [[Minecraft:underwater magma]].


Being completely underwater, only the magma blocks provide any air for entities to breathe, since they generate bubble columns. They sometimes have [[Minecraft:seagrass]], but [[Minecraft:kelp]] cannot generate due to being exposed to the sky, unlike sea-access caves.
Being completely underwater, only the magma blocks provide any air for entities to breathe, since they generate [[Minecraft:bubble column]]s. They sometimes have [[Minecraft:seagrass]], but [[Minecraft:kelp]] cannot generate due to being exposed to the sky, unlike sea-access caves.
{{-}}
{{-}}


Line 168: Line 224:
=== Monster room ===
=== Monster room ===
{{main|Monster Room}}
{{main|Monster Room}}
Monster rooms, formerly called dungeons, are structure-like [[Minecraft:feature]]s that appear in the underground that contain monster spawners. They are small rooms made of cobblestone and mossy cobblestone and contain a monster spawner that produces either [[Minecraft:Zombie|zombies]], skeletons, or spiders and up to 2 [[Minecraft:chest]]s. Finding a monster room without a chest is unlikely but possible.
Monster rooms, formerly called dungeons, are structure-like [[Minecraft:feature]]s that appear in the underground that contain [[Minecraft:monster spawner]]s. They are small rooms made of cobblestone and mossy cobblestone and contain a monster spawner that produces either [[Minecraft:Zombie|zombies]], [[Minecraft:Skeleton|skeletons]], or [[Minecraft:Spider|spiders]] and up to 2 [[Minecraft:chest]]s. Finding a monster room without a chest is unlikely but possible.


=== Ancient city ===
=== Ancient city ===
Line 176: Line 232:
=== Mineshaft ===
=== Mineshaft ===
{{main|Mineshaft}}
{{main|Mineshaft}}
A mineshaft is a generated structure found underground or underwater, having 3×3 mazes of tunnels with cave spiders and ores exposed on the walls or floor regularly.
A mineshaft is a generated structure found underground or underwater, having 3×3 mazes of tunnels with cave spiders and ores exposed on the walls or floor regularly. Mineshafts also generate pillars of oak logs if a part of the mineshaft floats over a cave in the air, along with iron chains that hang from the ceiling.


=== Lava lake ===
=== Lava lake ===
Line 186: Line 242:
=== Amethyst geode ===
=== Amethyst geode ===
{{main|Amethyst geode}}
{{main|Amethyst geode}}
An amethyst geode is a [[Minecraft:feature]] found in the underground of the [[Minecraft:Overworld]]. Amethyst geodes contain smooth basalt, [[Minecraft:calcite]], and are the only source, apart from Ancient City and Trial Chambers chests, of amethyst items and blocks.
An amethyst geode is a [[Minecraft:feature]] found in the underground of the [[Minecraft:Overworld]]. Amethyst geodes contain [[Minecraft:smooth basalt]], [[Minecraft:calcite]], and are the only source, apart from Ancient City and Trial Chambers chests, of [[Minecraft:amethyst cluster|amethyst]] [[Minecraft:amethyst shard|item]]s and [[Minecraft:block of amethyst|block]]s.
== Cave biomes ==
== Cave biomes ==
There are some [[Minecraft:biome]]s generated only in caves in the Overworld.
There are some [[Minecraft:biome]]s generated only in caves in the Overworld.
Line 192: Line 248:
=== Dripstone caves ===
=== Dripstone caves ===
{{main|Dripstone Caves}}
{{main|Dripstone Caves}}
A dripstone cave is an underground biome often found far away from oceans, in areas with high continentalness values. It features a landscape covered by speleothems, taking the form of patches of pointed dripstone and large dripstone block pillars. Small sources of water can be found on the floor. Drowned can spawn here in aquifers.
A dripstone cave is an underground biome often found far away from oceans, in areas with high [[Minecraft:continentalness]] values. It features a landscape covered by speleothems, taking the form of patches of [[Minecraft:pointed dripstone]] and large [[Minecraft:dripstone block]] pillars. Small sources of water can be found on the floor. [[Minecraft:Drowned]] can spawn here in aquifers.


=== Lush caves ===
=== Lush caves ===
{{main|Lush Caves}}
{{main|Lush Caves}}
A lush cave is an underground biome that is usually found below biomes with high humidity values, such as dark forests and old growth taigas. It is filled with unique flora, cave vines covering the roof, and [[Minecraft:clay]] pools of [[Minecraft:water]] on the bottom. This biome can be found underground below azalea trees. Axolotls and tropical fish can spawn here.
A lush cave is an underground biome that is usually found below biomes with high [[Minecraft:humidity]] values, such as [[Minecraft:dark forest]]s and [[Minecraft:old growth taiga]]s. It is filled with unique flora, [[Minecraft:cave vine]]s covering the roof, and [[Minecraft:clay]] pools of [[Minecraft:water]] on the bottom. This biome can be found underground below [[Minecraft:azalea tree]]s. [[Minecraft:Axolotl]]s and [[Minecraft:tropical fish]] can spawn here.


=== Deep dark ===
=== Deep dark ===
{{main|Deep Dark}}
{{main|Deep Dark}}
The deep dark mainly generates deep underground in the deepslate layer, usually in mountainous areas with low [[Minecraft:Biome#Erosion|erosion]] values, and never below an ocean. The floor in this biome often has patches of [[Minecraft:sculk]] blocks surrounded by sculk veins, which include sculk-related blocks such as sculk shriekers, sculk sensors, and sculk catalysts. No mobs spawn  naturally in this biome, but if a player triggers the sculk shriekers a certain amount of times, the [[Minecraft:warden]], a powerful hostile mob, may appear, giving the player the Darkness effect. This biome may contain one or more ancient cities.
The deep dark mainly generates deep underground in the deepslate layer, usually in mountainous areas with low [[Minecraft:Biome#Erosion|erosion]] values, and never below an ocean. The floor in this biome often has patches of [[Minecraft:sculk]] blocks surrounded by [[Minecraft:sculk vein]]s, which include sculk-related blocks such as [[Minecraft:sculk shrieker]]s, [[Minecraft:sculk sensor]]s, and [[Minecraft:sculk catalyst]]s. No mobs spawn  naturally in this biome, but if a player triggers the sculk shriekers a certain amount of times, the [[Minecraft:warden]], a powerful hostile mob, may appear, giving the player the [[Minecraft:Darkness]] effect. This biome may contain one or more [[Minecraft:ancient cities]].


=== Sulfur caves ===
=== Sulfur caves ===
{{main|Sulfur Caves}}
{{main|Sulfur Caves}}
{{In development|java|bedrock|26.2|26.20|experimental-be=Drop 2 of 2026|section=1}}
The sulfur caves are a cave biome that consist of [[Minecraft:sulfur]], [[Minecraft:sulfur spike]] and [[Minecraft:cinnabar]] blocks, where [[Minecraft:sulfur cube]]s and [[Minecraft:cave spider]]s naturally spawn. [[Minecraft:Sulfur pool]]s generate in this biome, which include a block of [[Minecraft:potent sulfur]]. [[Minecraft:Sulfur spring]]s can spawn above a sulfur cave, indicating the presence of one nearby.
The sulfur caves are cave [[Minecraft:biome]]s consisting of [[Minecraft:sulfur]] and [[Minecraft:cinnabar]] blocks, where sulfur cubes spawn and sulfur pools generate. It was revealed at Minecraft Live – March 2026.
 
=== Ice caves ===
{{main|Ice Caves}}
The ice caves are an upcoming cave biome that consists of [[Minecraft:packed ice]], [[Minecraft:calcite]], and [[Minecraft:icicle]]s, where [[Minecraft:frostbite]]s naturally spawn. Crevasses also generate here, with [[Minecraft:Brittle Ice|brittle ice]] covering a hole filled with water.


== History ==
== History ==
=== Announcement ===
{{HistoryTable
|{{HistoryLine||October 3, 2020|link=https://youtube.com/watch?v=DBvZ2Iqmm3M|The new cave generation is at [[Minecraft:Minecraft Live 2020]].}}
}}
=== ''Java Edition'' ===
=== ''Java Edition'' ===
{{HistoryTable
{{HistoryTable
|{{HistoryLine|java Pre-classic}}
|{{HistoryLine|java Pre-classic}}
|{{HistoryLine||Cave game tech test|link=Cave game tech test|Development on "Cave Game" started; caverns are showcased.}}
|{{HistoryLine||Cave game tech test|link=Cave game tech test|Development on "[[Minecraft:Cave Game]]" started; caverns are showcased.}}
|{{HistoryLine||rd-132211|Caves have been temporarily removed.}}
|{{HistoryLine||rd-132211|Caves have been temporarily removed.}}
|{{HistoryLine|java classic}}
|{{HistoryLine|java classic}}
|{{HistoryLine||0.0.3a|Re-added caves.}}
|{{HistoryLine||0.0.3a|Re-added caves.}}
|{{HistoryLine||0.0.19a|Caves are now more varied in width.}}
|{{HistoryLine||August 25, 2009|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoEn4f7H5M4|Caves are shown to be longer and more narrow.
|{{HistoryLine||August 25, 2009|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoEn4f7H5M4|Caves are shown to be longer and more narrow.
|It was demonstrated that bigger caves are located deeper underground.}}
|It was demonstrated that bigger caves are located deeper underground.}}
Line 230: Line 296:
|More water and [[Minecraft:lava]] springs generate in caves.  
|More water and [[Minecraft:lava]] springs generate in caves.  
|Tunnels have a wider variety of thickness.{{check version|Which 0616 version this is is unknown.}}}}
|Tunnels have a wider variety of thickness.{{check version|Which 0616 version this is is unknown.}}}}
|{{HistoryLine||20100617-1531|[[Minecraft:Gravel]] and [[Minecraft:dirt]] can now be found in caves as ore features.}}
|{{HistoryLine||20100617-1531|[[Minecraft:Gravel]] and [[Minecraft:dirt]] can now be found in caves as [[Minecraft:Ore (feature)|ore feature]]s.}}
|{{HistoryLine|java alpha}}
|{{HistoryLine|java alpha}}
|{{HistoryLine||v1.0.3|Caves now have ambient noises such as moans and train whistles.}}
|{{HistoryLine||v1.0.3|Caves now have ambient noises such as moans and train whistles.}}
|{{HistoryLine||v1.2.6|Pools of water and lava can now be found in caves.}}
|{{HistoryLine||v1.2.6|Pools of water and lava can now be found in caves.}}
|{{HistoryLine|java}}
|{{HistoryLine|java}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.4.2|dev=12w38a|Bats added, and are the only passive [[Minecraft:mob]] to spawn in dark caves.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.4.2|dev=12w38a|[[Minecraft:Bat]]s added, and are the only passive [[Minecraft:mob]] to spawn in dark caves.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=12w38b|New cave sounds added.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=12w38b|New cave sounds added.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.7.2|dev=13w36a|Cave generation tweaked, making caves less dense and interconnected.<ref>{{cite|url=https://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1981051|title=It seems that the underground is no longer swiss cheese anymore.|website=Minecraft Forum|date=September 17, 2013}}</ref><ref>:de:Datei:Höhlenverteilung 13w36a.gif</ref>}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.7.2|dev=13w36a|Cave generation tweaked, making caves less dense and interconnected.<ref>{{cite|url=https://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1981051|title=It seems that the underground is no longer swiss cheese anymore.|website=Minecraft Forum|date=September 17, 2013}}</ref><ref>[[Minecraft::de:Datei:Höhlenverteilung 13w36a.gif]]</ref>}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.8|dev=14w20a|Caves now generate on the surface of desert, mesa, mega taiga, and mushroom [[Minecraft:biome]]s.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.8|dev=14w20a|Caves now generate on the surface of desert, mesa, mega taiga, and mushroom [[Minecraft:biome]]s.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=14w32a|Caves surfacing in mesa biomes now generate with red sandstone rather than [[Minecraft:sandstone]].}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=14w32a|Caves surfacing in mesa biomes now generate with [[Minecraft:red sandstone]] rather than [[Minecraft:sandstone]].}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.10|dev=16w20a|Caves no longer generate with sandstone in the ceiling, when they surface through sand of any type.  The sand instead shows unstable sand particles, until it is disturbed.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.10|dev=16w20a|Caves no longer generate with sandstone in the ceiling, when they surface through sand of any type.  The sand instead shows unstable sand particles, until it is disturbed.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.13|dev=18w08a|Caves and ravines can now generate underwater.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.13|dev=18w08a|Caves and ravines can now generate underwater.}}
|{{HistoryLine||October 3, 2020|link={{ytl|DWZIfsaIgtE|t=24m55s}}|The Caves & Cliffs update was announced at Minecraft Live 2020, revealing cave biomes, aquifers, and noise caves. }}
|{{HistoryLine||October 3, 2020|link={{ytl|DWZIfsaIgtE|t=24m55s}}|The [[Minecraft:Caves & Cliffs]] update was announced at [[Minecraft:Minecraft Live 2020]], revealing cave biomes, aquifers, and noise caves. }}
|{{HistoryLine||1.17|dev=21w06a|Revamped cave generation by adding cheese caves, spaghetti caves, and flooded aquifer caves.
|{{HistoryLine||1.17|dev=21w06a|Revamped cave generation by adding cheese caves, spaghetti caves, and flooded aquifer caves.
|Removed flooded carver caves, as they are replaced by aquifers.
|Removed flooded carver caves, as they are replaced by aquifers.
|Caves can now generate down to Y{{=}}-60.}}
|Caves can now generate down to Y{{=}}-60.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=21w07a|Noise caves and aquifers appear less often, and caves that are below the Y level of 0 are now made with grimstone}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=21w07a|Noise caves and aquifers appear less often, and caves that are below the Y level of 0 are now made with [[Minecraft:grimstone]]}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=21w08a|Added crevice carvers.
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=21w08a|Added crevice carvers.
|Carvers now generate below Y{{=}}0.
|Carvers now generate below Y{{=}}0.
Line 257: Line 323:
|Reduced likelihood of tall 1-block thin pillars.
|Reduced likelihood of tall 1-block thin pillars.
|Changes were made to make the cheese caves more varied in aspect and size.
|Changes were made to make the cheese caves more varied in aspect and size.
|[[Minecraft:Deepslate]] ore features can now be found between heights 0 and 16.
|[[Minecraft:Deepslate]] [[Minecraft:Ore (feature)|ore feature]]s can now be found between heights 0 and 16.
|Dripstone clusters can now be found rarely in regular caves.}}
|[[Minecraft:Dripstone cluster]]s can now be found rarely in regular caves.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=21w15a|All changes to caves from 21w06a-21w13a apart from dripstone clusters and deepslate and tuff ore features have been disabled and relegated to the Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=21w15a|All changes to caves from 21w06a-21w13a apart from dripstone clusters and deepslate and tuff [[Minecraft:Ore (feature)|ore feature]]s have been disabled and relegated to the [[Minecraft:Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack]].}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=21w18a|Added noodle caves in the prototype data pack.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=21w18a|Added noodle caves in the prototype data pack.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.18|dev=Experimental Snapshot 1|Re-introduced all previous changes to cave generation, which were available only through certain snapshots and the Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack prior to this experimental snapshot.
|{{HistoryLine||1.18|dev=Experimental Snapshot 1|Re-introduced all previous changes to cave generation, which were available only through certain snapshots and the [[Minecraft:Caves & Cliffs Prototype Data Pack]] prior to this experimental snapshot.
|Lush caves and dripstone caves can now generate naturally.
|[[Minecraft:Lush cave]]s and [[Minecraft:dripstone cave]]s can now generate naturally.
|Noise caves are no longer flooded above Y{{=}}30.
|Noise caves are no longer flooded above Y{{=}}30.
|Noodle caves now generate at all altitudes.{{verify|were they capped at Y{{=}}130 in this version, or was that not a thing until later?}}}}
|Noodle caves now generate at all altitudes.{{verify|were they capped at Y{{=}}130 in this version, or was that not a thing until later?}}}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=July 14, 2021|slink=https://twitter.com/henrikkniberg/status/1415237012731346947|According to Henrik Kniberg, crevice carvers have been retired because noise caves "do a better job of making cool natural-looking crevice".}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=July 14, 2021|slink=https://twitter.com/henrikkniberg/status/1415237012731346947|According to [[Minecraft:Henrik Kniberg]], crevice carvers have been retired because noise caves "do a better job of making cool natural-looking crevice".}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=experimental snapshot 2|Noise caves are less likely to extend from the surface to negative Y levels.
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=experimental snapshot 2|Noise caves are less likely to extend from the surface to negative Y levels.
|Cheese caves are a bit smaller and less likely to intersect the surface.}}
|Cheese caves are a bit smaller and less likely to intersect the surface.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=experimental snapshot 3|Aquifers can go deeper and are more likely to connect with cave systems further down.
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=experimental snapshot 3|Aquifers can go deeper and are more likely to connect with cave systems further down.
|Aquifers have more high-frequency variation, and are more likely to be spread out instead of concentrated in one region.}}
|Aquifers have more high-frequency variation, and are more likely to be spread out instead of concentrated in one region.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=experimental snapshot 5|Carvers are now able to cut through red sand and [[Minecraft:calcite]].}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=experimental snapshot 5|Carvers are now able to cut through [[Minecraft:red sand]] and [[Minecraft:calcite]].}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=experimental snapshot 6|Aquifers under oceans and rivers are more likely to link to underground areas.
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=experimental snapshot 6|Aquifers under oceans and rivers are more likely to link to underground areas.
|Carvers are now able to cut through sand and gravel on ocean floors.}}
|Carvers are now able to cut through sand and gravel on ocean floors.}}
Line 278: Line 344:
|{{HistoryLine||1.19|dev=Deep Dark Experimental Snapshot 1|Added the deep dark biome and ancient cities.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.19|dev=Deep Dark Experimental Snapshot 1|Added the deep dark biome and ancient cities.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=22w11a|[[Minecraft:Sculk]] patches in deep dark now also replace part of the terrain's walls or ceilings, and become larger in general.
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=22w11a|[[Minecraft:Sculk]] patches in deep dark now also replace part of the terrain's walls or ceilings, and become larger in general.
|Ancient cities in Deep Dark from the previous experimental snapshot have not been added.}}
|[[Minecraft:Ancient cities]] in Deep Dark from the previous experimental snapshot have not been added.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=22w13a|Re-added ancient cities and revamped with new structures, improvements to already existing structures and an updated loot table.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=22w13a|Re-added ancient cities and revamped with new structures, improvements to already existing structures and an updated loot table.}}
|{{HistoryLine||26.2|dev=snap1|Added the sulfur caves biome.}}
}}
}}


Line 285: Line 352:
{{HistoryTable
{{HistoryTable
|{{HistoryLine|pocket alpha}}
|{{HistoryLine|pocket alpha}}
|{{HistoryLine||Nov 24, 2012|link={{ytl|YMhyX_lKWV4|t=18m15s}}|Performance issues relating to caves were discussed at MINECON 2012.}}
|{{HistoryLine||Nov 24, 2012|link={{ytl|YMhyX_lKWV4|t=18m15s}}|Performance issues relating to caves were discussed at [[Minecraft:MINECON 2012]].}}
|{{HistoryLine||v0.9.0|dev=build 1|Added caves.}}
|{{HistoryLine||v0.9.0|dev=build 1|Added caves.}}
|{{HistoryLine|bedrock}}
|{{HistoryLine|bedrock}}
Line 291: Line 358:
|{{HistoryLine||1.16.0|dev=beta 1.16.0.57|Added ambient cave sounds.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.16.0|dev=beta 1.16.0.57|Added ambient cave sounds.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.16.220|exp=Caves and Cliffs|dev=beta 1.16.220.52|Caves now generate down to Y{{=}}-64.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.16.220|exp=Caves and Cliffs|dev=beta 1.16.220.52|Caves now generate down to Y{{=}}-64.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.17.0|exp=Caves and Cliffs|dev=beta 1.16.230.52|[[Minecraft:Deepslate]] ore features can now be found between heights 0 and 16.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.17.0|exp=Caves and Cliffs|dev=beta 1.16.230.52|[[Minecraft:Deepslate]] [[Minecraft:Ore (feature)|ore feature]]s can now be found between heights 0 and 16.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=beta 1.16.230.54|Dripstone clusters can now be found rarely in regular caves.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=beta 1.16.230.54|[[Minecraft:Dripstone cluster]]s can now be found rarely in regular caves.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=beta 1.16.230.56|Revamped cave generation by adding cheese caves, spaghetti caves, and flooded aquifer caves.
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=beta 1.16.230.56|Revamped cave generation by adding cheese caves, spaghetti caves, and flooded aquifer caves.
|Caves can now generate down to Y{{=}}-60.}}
|Caves can now generate down to Y{{=}}-60.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=beta 1.17.0.50|[[Minecraft:Lush Caves]] and Dripstone Caves can now generate naturally behind experimental gameplay toggle.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=beta 1.17.0.50|[[Minecraft:Lush Caves]] and [[Minecraft:Dripstone Caves]] can now generate naturally behind [[Minecraft:experimental gameplay]] toggle.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.17.10|exp=Caves and Cliffs|dev=release|The new cave generation has been made accessible, behind experimental gameplay toggle.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.17.10|exp=Caves and Cliffs|dev=release|The new cave generation has been made accessible, behind [[Minecraft:experimental gameplay]] toggle.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.17.30|exp=Caves and Cliffs|dev=beta 1.17.30.23|Added noodle caves, behind experimental gameplay toggle.
|{{HistoryLine||1.17.30|exp=Caves and Cliffs|dev=beta 1.17.30.23|Added noodle caves, behind [[Minecraft:experimental gameplay]] toggle.
|Noise caves are no longer flooded above Y{{=}}30 behind experimental gameplay toggle.}}
|Noise caves are no longer flooded above Y{{=}}30 behind [[Minecraft:experimental gameplay]] toggle.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.18.0|dev=beta 1.18.0.20|Lush caves and dripstone caves can now generate naturally by default without enabling experimental gameplay toggle.
|{{HistoryLine||1.18.0|dev=beta 1.18.0.20|[[Minecraft:Lush cave]]s and [[Minecraft:dripstone cave]]s can now generate naturally by default without enabling experimental gameplay toggle.
|The new cave generation has been made accessible by default, without enabling experimental gameplay toggle.}}
|The new cave generation has been made accessible by default, without enabling experimental gameplay toggle.}}
}}
}}
Line 318: Line 385:
== Issues ==
== Issues ==
{{issue list}}
{{issue list}}
== Trivia ==
* Before they were added to ''Minecraft'', large underground lakes were already present in ''[[Minecraft:Minicraft]]''.


== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
===Carvers===
=== Carvers ===
<gallery>
<gallery>
EarlyClassicCave.png|A cave in early Classic.
EarlyClassicCave.png|A cave in early Classic.
0point30cave.png|A cave in Classic 0.30.
0point30cave.png|A cave in Classic 0.30.
Wormhole Cave Beta.png|A wormhole entrance.
Wormhole Cave Beta.png|A wormhole entrance.
DeadbushCave.png|A dead bush in a badlands cave.
DeadbushCave.png|A [[Minecraft:dead bush]] in a [[Minecraft:badlands]] cave.
Pit.png|A cave entrance found in a Birch Forest biome.
Pit.png|A cave entrance found in a [[Minecraft:Birch Forest]] biome.
LuckyCave.png|A cave with all seven types of Overworld ore.
LuckyCave.png|A cave with all seven types of Overworld ore.
Red Sandstone Cave.png|An entrance generated in a badlands biome.
Red Sandstone Cave.png|An entrance generated in a badlands biome.
Line 334: Line 404:
Badlands Cave.png|The inside of a cave near the surface of badlands.
Badlands Cave.png|The inside of a cave near the surface of badlands.
Underwater Cave.png|A cave that generated underneath an ocean.
Underwater Cave.png|A cave that generated underneath an ocean.
Cubic caves 164311266871034.png|Unusually repetitive cave generation seen in Spectator mode.
Cubic caves 164311266871034.png|Unusually repetitive cave generation seen in [[Minecraft:Spectator mode]].
Hugecrater.png|A deep cave entrance.
Hugecrater.png|A deep cave entrance.
SandstoneFormation.png|Natural sandstone blocking sand from entering a cave system.
SandstoneFormation.png|Natural sandstone blocking sand from entering a cave system.
Cavernenter.png|Dark cave entrance.
Cavernenter.png|Dark cave entrance.
Cavernmobs.png|Mobs that spawned in a unlit cave.
Cavernmobs.png|Mobs that spawned in a unlit cave.
Desertcave.png|Cave entrance in a desert biome.
Desertcave.png|Cave entrance in a [[Minecraft:desert]] biome.
Ice Cave.png|A circular cave entrance generated in snowy plains biome.
Ice Cave.png|A circular cave entrance generated in snowy plains biome.
Caveopening.png|Huge cave generated inside a hillside.
Caveopening.png|Huge cave generated inside a hillside.
Dark cave.png|Pitch-black cave.
Dark cave.png|Pitch-black cave.
DesertCave.png|In the desert, players have to be careful about mining in the ceiling, as this can cause a cave-in and easily kill the player.
DesertCave.png|In the desert, players have to be careful about mining in the ceiling, as this can cause a cave-in and easily kill the player.
Mega Cave.png|Another example of a mega cave with a mineshaft.
Mega Cave.png|Another example of a mega cave with a [[Minecraft:mineshaft]].
Iron Ore in Cave.png|Cave entrance in a desert.
Iron Ore in Cave.png|Cave entrance in a desert.
</gallery>
==== Mojang screenshots ====
<gallery>
21w07a Cave carvers.jpg|Carvers didn't generate below Y=0 in early caves & cliffs snapshots.
21w07a Cave carvers.jpg|Carvers didn't generate below Y=0 in early caves & cliffs snapshots.
Mesa Cave Entrance.png|Cave entrance in a badlands biome.
Mesa Cave Entrance.png|Cave entrance in a badlands biome.
Line 356: Line 430:
=== Noise caves ===
=== Noise caves ===
<gallery>
<gallery>
Cheese caves.jpg|A world full of cheese caves.
Cheese caves (Minecraft Alpha 1.0.11).png|Alpha's characteristic terrain quirks were generated just like modern cheese caves, though limited to higher y-axes.
File:Cheese caves (Minecraft Alpha 1.0.11).png|Alpha's characteristic terrain quirks were generated just like modern cheese caves, though limited to higher y-axes.
Start of spaghetti cave.png|The start of a spaghetti cave.
Start of spaghetti cave.png|The start of a spaghetti cave.
Winding spaghetti cave.png|A spaghetti cave winding through the underground.
Winding spaghetti cave.png|A spaghetti cave winding through the underground.
Line 372: Line 445:
Very large cave.png|A large cave.
Very large cave.png|A large cave.
Deepslate spaghetti cave.png|Another cave.
Deepslate spaghetti cave.png|Another cave.
</gallery>
==== Mojang screenshots ====
<gallery>
Cheese caves.jpg|A world full of cheese caves.
Jappa Cave 1.jpg|Ores in a cave.
Jappa Cave 1.jpg|Ores in a cave.
Jappa Cave 2.jpg|Ores in a cave.
Jappa Cave 2.jpg|Ores in a cave.
Line 382: Line 460:
Dark Cave 1.jpg|A dark cave with monsters.
Dark Cave 1.jpg|A dark cave with monsters.
Dark Cave 2.jpg|A dark cave with lava.
Dark Cave 2.jpg|A dark cave with lava.
Lava Lake Parity.jpg|A lava lake in java and bedrock.
Lava Lake Parity.jpg|A comparison of a lava lake between {{JE}} (left) and {{BE}} (right).
Cave Zombies.jpg|Lots of monsters in a cave.
Cave Zombies.jpg|Lots of monsters in a cave.
Large Lava Cave.jpg|A tall cave full of lava.
Large Lava Cave.jpg|A tall cave full of lava.
Line 392: Line 470:
</gallery>
</gallery>


==== Aquifers ====
=== Aquifers ===
<gallery>
<gallery>
Aquifer land entrance.png|An entrance to an aquifer from land.
Aquifer land entrance.png|An entrance to an aquifer from land.
Line 405: Line 483:
Flooded canyon.png|Partially-flooded canyon cave.
Flooded canyon.png|Partially-flooded canyon cave.
Flooded cave.png|A flooded cave.
Flooded cave.png|A flooded cave.
</gallery>
==== Mojang screenshots ====
<gallery>
Ominous Aquifer.jpg|A dark flooded cave.
Ominous Aquifer.jpg|A dark flooded cave.
Aquifer Cross Section.jpg|A cross section showing caves and aquifers.
Aquifer Cross Section.jpg|A cross section showing caves and aquifers.
Line 425: Line 507:
Hollow 1.png|A hollow formed by the terrain generator.
Hollow 1.png|A hollow formed by the terrain generator.
Hollow 2.png|A larger hollow with a lake inside.
Hollow 2.png|A larger hollow with a lake inside.
</gallery>
=== Cracks ===
<gallery>
Xray view of crack carvers.png|Crack carvers from the caves & cliffs snapshots.
Crack Carver Light.jpg|Light shining through cracks in a cave ceiling.
Illuminated Cavern.png|A cave lit by light from cracks.
</gallery>
</gallery>


Line 437: Line 512:
<gallery>
<gallery>
Lush Caves.png|[[Minecraft:Lush Caves]].
Lush Caves.png|[[Minecraft:Lush Caves]].
Dripstone Caves.png|Dripstone Caves.
Dripstone Caves.png|[[Minecraft:Dripstone Caves]].
Driplush caves.png|The lush caves and dripstone caves meet.
Driplush caves.png|The lush caves and dripstone caves meet.
</gallery>
</gallery>


=== Other ===
=== In other media ===
<gallery>
<gallery>
Minecraft PlayStation Cover art.png|Artwork of Steve in a Cave.
Minecraft PlayStation Cover art.png|Artwork of [[Minecraft:Steve]] in a cave
MCD Cave (Entrance).png|A cave as it appears in {{MCD}}
MCMS Cave spider ambush.png|A cave as it appears in [[Minecraft:Minecraft Mini-Series]]
AMCM Creeper cave.jpeg|A {{AMCM|Redstone Mountains|cave}} as it appears in {{AMCM}}
LEGO The Cave.jpg|[[Minecraft:21113 The Cave]]
Strip mining in a closet.jpeg
</gallery>
</gallery>
== Trivia ==
* Before they were added to ''Minecraft'', large underground lakes were already present in ''Minicraft''.


== See also ==
== See also ==
* Ambience, sounds that can be heard around and within dark caves.
* [[Minecraft:Ambience]], sounds that can be heard around and within dark caves.
* A guide to exploring caves
* [[Minecraft:Tutorial:Exploring caves|A guide to exploring caves]]


== References ==
== References ==
Line 459: Line 536:
{{Navbox terrain features}}
{{Navbox terrain features}}


de:Höhle
[[Minecraft:de:Höhle]]
es:Cueva
[[Minecraft:es:Cueva]]
fr:Caverne
[[Minecraft:fr:Caverne]]
hu:Barlang
[[Minecraft:hu:Barlang]]
it:Caverna
[[Minecraft:it:Caverna]]
ja:洞窟
[[Minecraft:ja:洞窟]]
ko:동굴
[[Minecraft:ko:동굴]]
nl:Grot
[[Minecraft:nl:Grot]]
pl:Jaskinia
[[Minecraft:pl:Jaskinia]]
pt:Caverna
[[Minecraft:pt:Caverna]]
ru:Пещера
[[Minecraft:ru:Пещера]]
th:ถ้ำ
[[Minecraft:th:ถ้ำ]]
uk:Печера
[[Minecraft:uk:Печера]]
zh:洞穴
[[Minecraft:zh:洞穴]]

Latest revision as of 11:10, 14 October 2026

Template:For Template:Split Template:Infobox structure

A cave (also known as a cavern) is a common Minecraft:terrain feature that generates in the Minecraft:Overworld and Minecraft:the Nether. Caves are usually found underground. They are open spaces of various sizes and shapes that often intersect with each other or with different Minecraft:generated structures, creating vast cave systems. They feature an abundance of Minecraft:ores, as well as hostile mobs that spawn in the darkness.

Generation

Template:Main

Caves are a part of Minecraft's terrain consisting of randomly generated cavities of Minecraft:air, Minecraft:water or Minecraft:lava, creating a hollow area and exposing other blocks generated with the terrain (such as Minecraft:stones and ores).

Caves generate at any Minecraft:altitude up to Y-level 256, and may span from the surface all the way to Y-level -59. Because of low Minecraft:light levels, hostile Minecraft:mobs and certain animals like Minecraft:bats and Minecraft:glow squids (only in water) often spawn in caves.

Caves come in two distinct types; noise caves and carver caves. Noise caves are generated along with the base terrain, while carver caves are added later on as generated features.

Template:Calculator

Noise caves

File:Noise cave mechanism.jpg
The mechanics of noise cave generation explained by former Mojang dev Henrik Kniberg.<ref>Template:Tweet</ref>

Noise caves are generated using a noise. They come in the form of cheese caves, spaghetti caves, and noodle caves.<ref name="21w06a">Template:Snap</ref> By adjusting noise frequency, hollowness (for cheese caves), and thickness (for spaghetti caves, noodle caves, and noise pillars), noise caves can vary in extremely diverse ways. When generating noise caves, the game firstly generates a random noise field, and "smudges" it using a mathematical trick called Perlin noise. These processes then result in a 3D noise image. Noise pillars also generate inside cave blobs.

Noise caves are a part of the base terrain generation, and so do not intersect generated structures or mineral deposits. They are typically decorated with biome-specific features and decoration such as grass, sand, snow, or trees at higher y-levels, or dripstone pillars or clay deltas at lower y-levels. This is important, as cave noise is dually used to generate important Overworld terrain features such as overhangs or floating islands on the surface.<ref>Template:YouTube link</ref>

Cheese cave

Template:Distinguish

File:Cheese Cave.png
Inside of a high-hollowness low-frequency cheese cave.

Cheese caves are pocket areas of the underground that come in various sizes. Cheese caves offer large and open spaces, being the largest cave type in the game. They frequently generate noise pillars and expose many Minecraft:ores. When generating, the black part of noise image becomes stone or deepslate, and white part becomes air, making it resemble cheese with many holes.


Spaghetti cave

File:Spaghetti Cave.png
Inside of a spaghetti cave.
File:Spaghetti cave X-ray.png
Spaghetti cave in Spectator mode.

Spaghetti caves are long, narrow, winding caves and are a bit similar to small or medium carver caves, but longer. When generating, the edge of black and white part of noise image becomes air, making it look like long and wide spaghetti.

Noodle cave

File:Noodle Cave.png
Inside of a noodle cave.
File:Snapshot-21w17a-noodle-caves-full.jpg
Noodle caves in Spectator mode.

Noodle caves are a thinner and squigglier variant of spaghetti caves. They consist of tunnels usually 1 to 5 blocks in width. When generating, the edge of black and white part of noise image becomes air, making it look like long and thin noodles.

Noise pillar

File:Stone cave pillars.png
Pillars in a cheese cave.
File:Deepslate speleothems.png
Another cave with pillars.

Noise pillars look like large dripstones or speleothems, but consist usually of stone. They can be found in any type of noise cave, making caves more realistic.

Aquifer

File:A lava lake.png
A water aquifer and a lava aquifer meeting in a cave, kept apart by stone.

Aquifers are the part of terrain generation that decides what fills every non-solid block: water, lava, air or, near the boundary between two bodies of fluid, stone. They produce the underground lakes, the lava lakes below Y=-10, the water and lava falls in caves, and the stone "rims" that keep neighboring bodies of fluid apart. Rivers and oceans are not produced by aquifers: they are filled by the global fluid rule below, which applies whether aquifers are enabled or not. Note that Minecraft:lava lakes are also generated underground, but are not aquifers.

The following describes Minecraft:Java Edition. Aquifers were added in Template:Ver and the algorithm has been the same since.

Global fluid rule

Every dimension has a fluid rule that depends only on the Y coordinate:

  • Below Y = min(−54, sea level): lava, whose surface is at Y=-54.
  • Otherwise: the dimension's default fluid (water in the Overworld) up to sea level.

Without aquifers this rule alone fills every cave: water below sea level and lava below Y=-54. This is why the Nether has its lava ocean at Y=32 and why the Caves Minecraft:world preset has water below Y=32 and lava below Y=-54. In a dimension whose sea level is below −54 (the Floating Islands preset, sea level −64) there is no lava layer at all.

Aquifer cells

File:Aquifer Cross Section.jpg
A cross section of terrain near a coast: pockets of water at several different heights, each one an aquifer cell.

When aquifers are enabled, the world is divided into cells of 16×12×16 blocks. The cell grid is shifted by 5 blocks on X and Z and by 1 block on Y relative to Minecraft:chunk boundaries. Each cell contains one randomly placed center (offset 0–9 on X and Z and 0–8 on Y inside the cell, chosen from the world seed and the cell coordinates). Each center carries a fluid status: a fluid level and a fluid type, or "dry" for no fluid.

For a given block, the game looks at the 12 cells around it (2×3×2: the block's own cell and the next one on X and Z, and the rows above and below on Y) and finds the four centers nearest to the block by squared Euclidean distance. If the nearest center is clearly closer than the second one (the squared distances differ by 25 or more), the block simply takes the nearest center's status: its fluid type if the block is below that center's fluid level, air otherwise. Because of this, aquifers form a three-dimensional Voronoi pattern, and fluid levels change in abrupt steps at cell boundaries rather than smoothly.

Fluid status of a cell

File:Aquifer meets ocean.png
A cave under the sea floor, flooded to sea level.
File:Aquifer land entrance.png
A partially flooded cell that reaches the surface, its level capped at the terrain.

The status of a center is computed from the preliminary surface level (a Minecraft:density function, usually slightly below the actual terrain) sampled at 13 chunk offsets around the center: the center's own chunk, and 12 more chunks reaching 3 chunks west, 1 chunk east, and 1 chunk north and south. Each sampled surface is raised by 8 blocks before comparison.

  1. If the bottom of the cell (center Y − 12) is above the raised surface of its own chunk, the cell uses the global fluid rule. Cells high above ground therefore contain only air.
  2. If the top of the cell (center Y + 12) pokes above any sampled surface that lies below sea level, the cell is part of the sea: its level is sea level and its type is the default fluid.
  3. Otherwise the cell is underground and its flooding is decided by noise, unless it lies in the exclusion region (see below), in which case it is dry.

For an underground cell, the Template:Cd noise (clamped to [−1, 1]) is compared against two thresholds. The thresholds depend on how far the cell is below the lowest sampled surface, but only if the center's own surface is below sea level; on land the depth does not matter.

Surface above the center is under sea level, cell just below it Surface above the center is under sea level, cell 64+ blocks below it, or the center is on land
Fully flooded if noise > −0.3 0.8
Partially flooded if noise > −0.8 0.4

Between those two depths the thresholds are interpolated linearly. In practice this means that cells under the sea floor are almost always flooded to sea level, while inland cells are mostly dry, with occasional partially flooded ones.

  • A fully flooded cell has its level at the global fluid level (sea level, or −54 for lava).
  • A partially flooded cell gets a level from the Template:Cd noise, sampled once per 16×40×16 region: Template:Cd, where spread is in the range −10 to 10 in steps of 3. The level is additionally capped at the lowest sampled surface. Aquifer levels therefore cluster around Y = −20, 20, 60, 100, … (for example 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26 or 29 within the 0–40 band), and a partially flooded cell may lie above sea level, which is how lakes appear inside mountain caves.
  • Otherwise the cell is dry.
File:Lava Aquifer.jpg
A large lava aquifer below Y=-10.

Fluid type. A flooded cell contains the default fluid, except that it becomes lava when its level is at or below Y=-10 and the absolute value of the Template:Cd noise, sampled once per 64×40×64 region, exceeds 0.3. Because of the coarse sampling, lava aquifers come in large contiguous patches. Aquifers in the Overworld above Y=-10 are therefore always water, and the lava layer below Y=-54 exists regardless of aquifers.

Exclusion. Aquifers do not generate where Template:Cd and Template:Cd, that is, deep below terrain with the lowest erosion values. This is the same region used to place the Minecraft:Deep Dark biome and extends somewhat beyond it, which is why deep dark caves are dry.

Barriers

File:Aquifers of different levels.jpg
Two water bodies of different levels, separated by a stone barrier.
File:Aquifer boundary.png
A barrier between two aquifers, with the thin stone "lid" above the lower one.

When the two (or three) nearest centers are almost equally close to a block (their squared distances differ by less than 25) and their statuses differ, the game computes a pressure between them and adds it to the terrain density at that block. If the sum becomes positive, the block is generated as stone instead of fluid or air. This is what separates bodies of fluid with different levels or types and what produces the stone "rims" around underground lakes.

The pressure depends on the block's height relative to the two fluid levels:

  • Between the two levels it is positive and highest in the middle.
  • Above the higher level it drops off quickly, so the stone "lid" over a lake is only a few blocks thick (up to about 5 blocks).
  • Below the lower level it drops off slowly, so the stone floor and walls under a lake can be up to about 23 blocks thick.
  • A water cell next to a lava cell always receives a strong fixed pressure, so water and lava are nearly always separated by stone.

The Template:Cd noise adds a random component to the pressure in a narrow band around the fluid levels, which makes the barriers irregular rather than flat. Two cells with the same status have zero pressure between them, so a body of fluid spanning several cells has no internal walls.

Stone placed by a barrier is ordinary stone: it is affected by Minecraft:surface rules like any other terrain, which is why lake shores near the surface are covered in the biome's surface blocks.

Flowing fluids

File:Aquifer levels.png
Water flowing from a higher aquifer down into a lower one.

Fluid blocks generated near the boundary between cells with different statuses receive a scheduled tick after the chunk is generated. When such a block is next to air, the fluid starts flowing, which produces the waterfalls and lavafalls found in caves. Water generated directly above the lava layer (at Y=-54, when sea level is above it) is always scheduled. Fluid inside a single cell, or between cells with identical statuses, is never scheduled and stays still.

Configuration

In Minecraft:custom world generation, aquifers are controlled by the optional Template:Cd object, which holds the density functions Template:Cd, Template:Cd, Template:Cd, Template:Cd, Template:Cd and Template:Cd; omitting the object disables aquifers. The Template:Cd and Template:Cd fields of the noise settings define the global fluid rule.

Carver caves

Template:Redirect

Carver caves' structure typically consists of a series of irregular tunnels branching off and winding in other directions, which may cut through to the surface, creating natural entrances to the cave.

A carver cave may have a main room (aka circular void) connecting 1 to 4 trunks, each trunk with zero or two branches. It may also have no main room, only one trunk and zero or two branches on it, that is, an I-shaped or T-shaped cave. There is a one-in-four probability of generating a cave with the main room, and another three-quarters probability of generating an I-shaped or T-shaped cave.

The main room is an ellipsoidal void of various size. It sometimes may be too small to be found, making the cave looks I-shaped or T-shaped. But as long as the cave is not I-shaped or T-shaped, it must have a main room.

For each trunk or branch, it is usually thin at both ends and thick in the middle. However, the thickness does not vary so evenly. It sometimes flickers thick and thin as it advances. Sometimes it becomes so thin that there are some interruptions. Multiple interruptions make it look like a series of continuous bubbles. The length from the root of the trunk to the top of a branch varies from 85 to 112 blocks. The trunk and branches are curved, and they are often intertwined with each other to make complex caves. Multiple caves sometimes merge with each other making them more messy and spacious.

The ceiling of the main room, trunks, and branches is usually round, while the floor is usually flat.

In contrast with noise caves' gradual and natural openings, carver caves frequently cut straight through surface blocks and generated features, either destroying them or inhibiting their generation. Minecraft:Sand often falls into caves generated near the surface of a Minecraft:desert or Minecraft:beach; craters in the sand can alert the player to caves below the surface. Caves cannot cut through Minecraft:red sand nor Minecraft:snow blocks, despite these generating as a surface block in several biomes.<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref> They frequently intersect and expose other natural structures such as other caves, Minecraft:monster rooms, carver Minecraft:canyons, and Minecraft:mineshafts.

Overworld carver cave

The carver cave generation in the Overworld starts from Y=-56 to Y=180. The probability of cave generation is higher at Y=-56 to Y=47.

Their main rooms vary from roughly 1 to 14 blocks in height, and from roughly 5 to 15 blocks in diameter. The horizon thickness of trunks varies from roughly 2 to 38, while the vertical thickness of trunks varies from roughly 1 to 36. The horizon thickness of branches varies from roughly 2 to 7, while the vertical thickness of trunks varies from roughly 1 to 7.

A cave may connect to the surface of the terrain, creating natural entrances to the cave. They sometimes connect to the sea. Caves and Minecraft:mineshafts also regularly contain at least minor Minecraft:water or Minecraft:lava flows as well as caves being made up of a number of aquifers of water and lava.

Some biome decoration might appear as well. For example, in Minecraft:jungle biomes, Minecraft:vines generate in carver caves near the surface, while Minecraft:sculk and related blocks may appear in the Minecraft:deep dark.

Nether carver cave

File:Nether carvers.png
Nether carver cave generation

The carver cave generation in the Nether starts from Y=0 to Y=126.

Their main rooms vary from roughly 2 to 8 blocks in height, and from roughly 5 to 15 blocks in diameter. Compared to caves in the Overworld, the vertical thickness of the caves in the Nether is higher. The horizontal thickness of trunks varies from roughly 3 to 15, while the vertical thickness of trunks varies from roughly 12 to 64. The horizontal thickness of branches varies from roughly 3 to 5, while the vertical thickness of trunks varies from roughly 12 to 22.

Gallery


Underwater carver caves

File:Underwater Cave.png
An underwater cave, flooded completely with water.

Underwater caves are completely flooded caves that may have Minecraft:underwater magma.

Being completely underwater, only the magma blocks provide any air for entities to breathe, since they generate Minecraft:bubble columns. They sometimes have Minecraft:seagrass, but Minecraft:kelp cannot generate due to being exposed to the sky, unlike sea-access caves.

Structures and features

Monster room

Template:Main Monster rooms, formerly called dungeons, are structure-like Minecraft:features that appear in the underground that contain Minecraft:monster spawners. They are small rooms made of cobblestone and mossy cobblestone and contain a monster spawner that produces either zombies, skeletons, or spiders and up to 2 Minecraft:chests. Finding a monster room without a chest is unlikely but possible.

Ancient city

Template:Main An ancient city is a palatial structure found in the deep dark, harboring chests containing items that cannot be found anywhere else or that help a player avoid a warden. An ancient city features a large palace that stretches throughout a deep dark biome. The palace is made up of long corridors with gray wool floors to prevent vibrations as well as some smaller ruins off to the side of the main corridors, which contain between one or two loot chests. The city center features a frame resembling a warden's head, where there are reinforced deepslate blocks, which is an unobtainable material in Survival mode. Other unique blocks such as soul lanterns and candles as well as different forms of deepslate can be found here.

Mineshaft

Template:Main A mineshaft is a generated structure found underground or underwater, having 3×3 mazes of tunnels with cave spiders and ores exposed on the walls or floor regularly. Mineshafts also generate pillars of oak logs if a part of the mineshaft floats over a cave in the air, along with iron chains that hang from the ceiling.

Lava lake

Template:Main

File:LavaLake.png
Example of an underground lava lake.

Lava lakes may generate underground with an air pocket, which makes them look like small caves with lava aquifers.

Amethyst geode

Template:Main An amethyst geode is a Minecraft:feature found in the underground of the Minecraft:Overworld. Amethyst geodes contain Minecraft:smooth basalt, Minecraft:calcite, and are the only source, apart from Ancient City and Trial Chambers chests, of amethyst items and blocks.

Cave biomes

There are some Minecraft:biomes generated only in caves in the Overworld.

Dripstone caves

Template:Main A dripstone cave is an underground biome often found far away from oceans, in areas with high Minecraft:continentalness values. It features a landscape covered by speleothems, taking the form of patches of Minecraft:pointed dripstone and large Minecraft:dripstone block pillars. Small sources of water can be found on the floor. Minecraft:Drowned can spawn here in aquifers.

Lush caves

Template:Main A lush cave is an underground biome that is usually found below biomes with high Minecraft:humidity values, such as Minecraft:dark forests and Minecraft:old growth taigas. It is filled with unique flora, Minecraft:cave vines covering the roof, and Minecraft:clay pools of Minecraft:water on the bottom. This biome can be found underground below Minecraft:azalea trees. Minecraft:Axolotls and Minecraft:tropical fish can spawn here.

Deep dark

Template:Main The deep dark mainly generates deep underground in the deepslate layer, usually in mountainous areas with low erosion values, and never below an ocean. The floor in this biome often has patches of Minecraft:sculk blocks surrounded by Minecraft:sculk veins, which include sculk-related blocks such as Minecraft:sculk shriekers, Minecraft:sculk sensors, and Minecraft:sculk catalysts. No mobs spawn naturally in this biome, but if a player triggers the sculk shriekers a certain amount of times, the Minecraft:warden, a powerful hostile mob, may appear, giving the player the Minecraft:Darkness effect. This biome may contain one or more Minecraft:ancient cities.

Sulfur caves

Template:Main The sulfur caves are a cave biome that consist of Minecraft:sulfur, Minecraft:sulfur spike and Minecraft:cinnabar blocks, where Minecraft:sulfur cubes and Minecraft:cave spiders naturally spawn. Minecraft:Sulfur pools generate in this biome, which include a block of Minecraft:potent sulfur. Minecraft:Sulfur springs can spawn above a sulfur cave, indicating the presence of one nearby.

Ice caves

Template:Main The ice caves are an upcoming cave biome that consists of Minecraft:packed ice, Minecraft:calcite, and Minecraft:icicles, where Minecraft:frostbites naturally spawn. Crevasses also generate here, with brittle ice covering a hole filled with water.

History

Announcement

Template:HistoryTable

Java Edition

Template:HistoryTable

Bedrock Edition

Template:HistoryTable

Legacy Console Edition

Template:HistoryTable

New Nintendo 3DS Edition

Template:HistoryTable

Issues

Template:Issue list

Trivia

  • Before they were added to Minecraft, large underground lakes were already present in Minecraft:Minicraft.

Gallery

Carvers

Mojang screenshots

Noise caves

Mojang screenshots

Aquifers

Mojang screenshots

Hollows

Biomes

In other media

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Navigation

Template:Navbox terrain features

Minecraft:de:Höhle Minecraft:es:Cueva Minecraft:fr:Caverne Minecraft:hu:Barlang Minecraft:it:Caverna Minecraft:ja:洞窟 Minecraft:ko:동굴 Minecraft:nl:Grot Minecraft:pl:Jaskinia Minecraft:pt:Caverna Minecraft:ru:Пещера Minecraft:th:ถ้ำ Minecraft:uk:Печера Minecraft:zh:洞穴

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sasgaming.net/index.php?title=Minecraft:Cave&oldid=227780"
Contents