Sulfur Caves

Sulfur Caves
Structures	Woodland Mansion‌[BE only]
Features	Sulfur Pool; Sulfur Spring
Blocks	Cinnabar; Sulfur; Sulfur Spike; Potent Sulfur; Water
Climate
Temperature	0.8
Downfall	0.4
Precipitation	Yes
Colors
Fog color	; #8cb831
Grass color	; #aba64f
Foliage color	; #77ab2f
Dry foliage color	; #a37546
Water color	; #34bf89
Water fog color	; #17543c
Vibrant Visuals
Atmospherics	Default
Lighting	Default
Volumetric fog	Sulfur Caves
Color grading	Warmish

Sulfur caves are cave biomes composed of sulfur and cinnabar blocks, where sulfur cubes and cave spiders spawn. Sulfur pools with potent sulfur generate here, as well as sulfur spikes.

Generation

Sulfur caves generate underground at the same depth as lush caves and dripstone caves, although they tend to be much smaller in size and more fragmented. Sulfur springs sometimes generate on the surface, indicating there are sulfur caves below.

The biome tends to generate at very low weirdness values with high erosion and at a broad range of moderate continentalness. This means that they never generate directly under river valleys or below high mountains, though they may generate between rivers or under hilltops. They are common under flatland terrain near swamps, deserts and other flatland biomes.

Orange shading on the graph indicates how far above the approximate surface height (Y-axis) sulfur caves may generate at different weirdness values (X-axis).

Rarely, sulfur caves can generate on the surface at weirdness values below -1.25. They may also leak out of cave openings or ravines.

Description

The main landscape is composed of sulfur and cinnabar, layers in approximately same amount of blocks, with frequent sulfur pools possessing a unique acid-green color of water. Potent sulfur is found only on the bottom of these pools, creating noxious gas with white bubbles particles in and on top of the water. Nausea is inflicted to mobs and players when they come in contact with this noxious gas.

Sulfur spikes in varying patches and sizes generate on top of sulfur. Other terrain blocks such as deepslate and stone variants generate between the sulfur and cinnabar.

Ores rarely generate here, because sulfur and cinnabar replace most stone and deepslate blocks. The sky fog has a unique green color.

When a minecart with chest from a mineshaft spawns in sulfur caves, it has a chance to contain the "Bounce" music disc. In Bedrock Edition, woodland mansions can generate in sulfur caves, similar to other cave biomes, although this is nearly impossible.

With Vibrant Visuals, sulfur caves use warmish color grading, which tints the biome to look more humid and warm. They use a strong, dense volumetric fog; however, this is visible only on the surface with directional lighting.

Mobs

The following mobs naturally spawn here:

In **Java Edition**
Mob	Spawn weight	Group size
Monster category
Sulfur Cube	¹⁰⁰⁄₃₁₅	2–4
Creeper	⁵⁰⁄₃₁₅	2
Skeleton	⁵⁰⁄₃₁₅	2
Zombie	⁵⁰⁄₃₁₅	2
Slime^{[note 1]}	²⁵⁄₃₁₅	1
Cave Spider	²⁰⁄₃₁₅	1
Enderman	¹⁰⁄₃₁₅	1
Witch	⁵⁄₃₁₅	1
Zombie Villager	⁵⁄₃₁₅	1
Ambient category
Bat	1	8

↑ Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.

In **Bedrock Edition**
Mob	Spawn weight	Group size
Monster category
Sulfur Cube	150	2–4
Slime^{[note 1]}	100	1
Zombie^{[note 2]}	50.05	2
Creeper	50	2
Skeleton	50	2
Cave Spider	20	1
Enderman	10	1–2
Zombie Villager^{[note 3]}	4.95	2
Witch	1	1
Creature category
Glow Squid	1	2–4
Ambient category
Bat	1	8

↑ Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.
↑ Internally a 91% chance within a combined weight of 55 for both zombies and zombie villagers.
↑ Internally a 9% chance within a combined weight of 55 for both zombies and zombie villagers.

Sounds

Music

These music tracks play while the player is in sulfur caves:

Title	Preview	Java Edition		Bedrock Edition
Title	Preview	Weight	Probability	Weight	Probability
Ebb		2	11.76%	2	13.33%
Nightly		2	11.76%	—	—
Shores		2	11.76%	2	13.33%
An Ordinary Day		1	5.88%	1	6.67%
Danny		1	5.88%	1	6.67%
Deeper		1	5.88%	1	6.67%
Eld Unknown		1	5.88%	1	6.67%
Endless		1	5.88%	1	6.67%
Infinite Amethyst		1	5.88%	1	6.67%
Key		1	5.88%	1	6.67%
Oxygène		1	5.88%	1	6.67%
pokopoko		1	5.88%	1	6.67%
Subwoofer Lullaby		1	5.88%	1	6.67%
Wending		1	5.88%	1	6.67%

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Translation key
Sulfur Caves	`sulfur_caves`	`biome.minecraft.sulfur_caves`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID
[No displayed name]	`sulfur_caves`	`194`

Biome definition

This section is a work in progress.

Anyone is encouraged to edit this page and add more content into the topic.
Additional note: To be converted to standard JSON tree view - see Forum:Include enchantment, biome and dimension definitions in the Data values section for project info

Press "show" to display json contents

{
  "attributes": {
    "minecraft:audio/background_music": {
      "default": {
        "max_delay": 24000,
        "min_delay": 12000,
        "sound": "minecraft:music.overworld.sulfur_caves"
      }
    },
    "minecraft:gameplay/natural_mob_spawns": {
      "argument": {
        "spawn_costs": {},
        "spawns_by_category": {
          "ambient": [
            {
              "type": "minecraft:bat",
              "count": 8,
              "weight": 10
            }
          ],
          "monster": [
            {
              "type": "minecraft:sulfur_cube",
              "count": {
                "type": "minecraft:uniform",
                "max_inclusive": 4,
                "min_inclusive": 2
              },
              "weight": 100
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:creeper",
              "count": 2,
              "weight": 50
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:skeleton",
              "count": 2,
              "weight": 50
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:slime",
              "count": 1,
              "weight": 25
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:cave_spider",
              "count": 1,
              "weight": 20
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:zombie",
              "count": 2,
              "weight": 50
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:enderman",
              "count": 1,
              "weight": 10
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:witch",
              "count": 1,
              "weight": 1
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:zombie_villager",
              "count": 1,
              "weight": 5
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      "modifier": "overlay"
    },
    "minecraft:visual/fog_color": "#8cb831",
    "minecraft:visual/sky_color": "#78a7ff",
    "minecraft:visual/water_fog_color": "#17543c"
  },
  "carvers": [
    "minecraft:cave",
    "minecraft:cave_extra_underground",
    "minecraft:canyon"
  ],
  "downfall": 0.4,
  "effects": {
    "grass_color": "#aba64f",
    "water_color": "#34bf89"
  },
  "features": [
    [],
    [
      "minecraft:lake_lava_underground",
      "minecraft:lake_lava_surface",
      "minecraft:rooted_sulfur_spring",
      "minecraft:sulfur_pool"
    ],
    [
      "minecraft:amethyst_geode"
    ],
    [
      "minecraft:monster_room",
      "minecraft:monster_room_deep"
    ],
    [],
    [],
    [
      "minecraft:ore_dirt",
      "minecraft:ore_gravel",
      "minecraft:ore_granite_upper",
      "minecraft:ore_granite_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_diorite_upper",
      "minecraft:ore_diorite_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_andesite_upper",
      "minecraft:ore_andesite_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_tuff",
      "minecraft:ore_coal_upper",
      "minecraft:ore_coal_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_iron_upper",
      "minecraft:ore_iron_middle",
      "minecraft:ore_iron_small",
      "minecraft:ore_gold",
      "minecraft:ore_gold_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_redstone",
      "minecraft:ore_redstone_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_diamond",
      "minecraft:ore_diamond_medium",
      "minecraft:ore_diamond_large",
      "minecraft:ore_diamond_buried",
      "minecraft:ore_lapis",
      "minecraft:ore_lapis_buried",
      "minecraft:ore_copper",
      "minecraft:underwater_magma",
      "minecraft:disk_sand",
      "minecraft:disk_clay",
      "minecraft:disk_gravel"
    ],
    [
      "minecraft:sulfur_spike_cluster",
      "minecraft:sulfur_spike"
    ],
    [
      "minecraft:spring_water",
      "minecraft:spring_lava"
    ],
    [
      "minecraft:glow_lichen",
      "minecraft:patch_tall_grass_2"
    ],
    [
      "minecraft:freeze_top_layer"
    ]
  ],
  "has_precipitation": true,
  "temperature": 0.8
}

Achievements


Icon		Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS)
PS4	Other	Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS)
		Adventuring Time	Discover 17 biomes.	Visit any 17 biomes. Does not have to be in a single world.	40	Silver

Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)
	Adventuring Time	Discover every biome	Visit all of these 56^{[until: Fourth Drop 2026]}/57^[upcoming] biomes: Badlands Bamboo Jungle Beach Birch Forest Cherry Grove Cold Ocean Dappled Forest Dark Forest Deep Cold Ocean Deep Dark Deep Frozen Ocean Deep Lukewarm Ocean Deep Ocean Desert Dripstone Caves Eroded Badlands Flower Forest Forest Frozen Ocean Frozen Peaks Frozen River Grove Ice Caves Ice Spikes Jagged Peaks Jungle Lukewarm Ocean Lush Caves Mangrove Swamp Meadow Mushroom Fields Ocean Old Growth Birch Forest Old Growth Pine Taiga Old Growth Spruce Taiga Pale Garden Plains River Savanna Savanna Plateau Snowy Beach Snowy Plains Snowy Slopes Snowy Taiga Sparse Jungle Stony Peaks Stony Shore Sunflower Plains Sulfur Caves Swamp Taiga Warm Ocean Windswept Forest Windswept Gravelly Hills Windswept Hills Windswept Savanna Wooded Badlands The advancement is only for Overworld biomes. Other biomes may also be visited, but are ignored for this advancement.

History

Announcement

March 21, 2026							Sulfur caves have been announced at Minecraft Live – March 2026.

Java Edition

Java Edition
26.2	snap1	Added sulfur caves.
	snap3	Added sulfur spikes, which generate in sulfur caves.
	snap4	Granite and tuff are now dispersed between sulfur and cinnabar.
	snap4	Increased the amount of sulfur that generates.
	snap6	Sulfur caves are now less likely to generate underneath oceans, hills or mountains.
	snap6	Granite and tuff are no longer dispersed between sulfur and cinnabar.
	snap7	Grass color now appears less green in sulfur caves.
	May 15, 2026	A preview on the bug tracker showcases that sulfur caves that reach the surface will be changed to generate cave terrain on the surface in a future snapshot.^[1]
	snap8	Sulfur caves that reach the surface now generate cave terrain on the surface, rather than grass.
	pre1	Updated the fog color in the sulfur caves.
	pre1	Reduced the max growth length of the sulfur spikes.

Bedrock Edition

Bedrock Edition
26.20 Experiment Drop 2 of 2026	Preview 26.20.23	Added sulfur caves.
26.30	Preview 26.30.20	Implemented all features from the "Drop 2 of 2026" experiment in vanilla gameplay.
		Added sulfur spikes, which generate in sulfur caves.
		Granite and tuff are now dispersed between sulfur and cinnabar.
		Increased the amount of sulfur that generates.
	Preview 26.30.27	Added a unique air fog ( #8cb831) and underwater fog color ( #5bc313) to sulfur caves.
		Granite and tuff are no longer dispersed between sulfur and cinnabar.
		Sulfur caves are now less likely to generate underneath oceans, hills or mountains.
	Preview 26.30.28	Added a unique music pool for sulfur caves.
	Preview 26.30.29	Added a unique grass color for sulfur caves.
		Surface sulfur caves now generate their terrain instead of stone.
		Cave spiders can now spawn in sulfur caves.
		Woodland mansions can now generate in sulfur caves.
		Sulfur caves no longer have an increased rate of glow lichen generation.
26.40	Preview 26.40.20	The air fog and water fog colors have been changed to #297356 and #17543c, respectively.
26.40	Preview 26.40.22	The air fog color has been changed back to #8cb831.
26.50	Preview 26.50.22	Bats now spawn in sulfur caves.

Issues

Issues relating to "Sulfur Caves" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Gallery

Screenshots

A canyon exposing sulfur caves
Mineshafts in sulfur caves, where the "Bounce" music disc can be found
A thin sulfur carver cave
An aquifer in sulfur caves
A monster room in sulfur caves
Floating mineshafts in a large sulfur cave
A sulfur pool inside a mineshaft
Surface sulfur caves in a desert, with some sulfur springs nearby
Sulfur caves on the surface in frozen biomes
When sulfur caves generate at the surface, they commonly form deep lakes with sparse sulfur blocks.
Sulfur caves together with lush caves and dripstone caves in one cave
The dense volumetric fog in sulfur caves with Vibrant Visuals
The Sulfur Cave seed template thumbnail
The green classic fog in sulfur caves
The extremely rare occurence of a woodland mansion in Bedrock Edition surface sulfur caves
Mansions are more common in sulfur caves single biome worlds.

Mojang images

A sulfur cave generating with cave features on the surface

Development screenshots

Water flowing into deepslate levels from sulfur caves
A house in sulfur caves, built with the sulfur and cinnabar block variations
A pool of gas created by potent sulfur
Sulfur cubes in a sulfur cave's entrance
Kai using a log on a sulfur cube in sulfur caves

References

↑ MC-307323 – Sulfur caves can generate on the surface – resolved as "Works As Intended".

[Slime-1] Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.

[Slime-2] Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.

[Zombie-3] Internally a 91% chance within a combined weight of 55 for both zombies and zombie villagers.

[Zombie_Villager-4] Internally a 9% chance within a combined weight of 55 for both zombies and zombie villagers.

[5] MC-307323 – Sulfur caves can generate on the surface – resolved as "Works As Intended".

[note 1]

[note 1]

[note 2]

[note 3]

[1]