Speleology to cave science in the world. The growth of speleology is directly linked with that of the sport of caving, both because of the stimulation of public interest and awareness, and the fact that most speleological field-work has been conducted by sport cavers. The creation of an accurate, detailed map is one of the most common technical activities undertaken within a cave. Cave maps, called "surveys", can be used to compare caves to each other by length, depth and volume, may reveal clues on speleogenesis, provide a spatial reference for further scientific study, and assist visitors with route-finding. Caves provide
Exploration of Neptune academic groups have proposed and worked on future scientific missions to visit Neptune. Some mission plans are still active, while others have been abandoned or put on hold. After the "Voyager" flyby, NASA's next step in scientific exploration of the Neptune system is considered to be a flagship orbiter mission. Such a hypothetical mission is envisioned to be possible in the late 2020s or early 2030s. Another one proposed for the 2040s is called the Neptune-Triton Explorer (NTE). NASA has researched several other project options for both flyby and orbiter missions (of similar design as the "Cassini–Huygens" mission to Saturn).