Many beautiful structures – including stalagmites and stalactites – form inside caves as carbonic acid carrying limestone, drips through cave roofs onto their floors. Structures inside a cave may take millions of years to develop.
Some of the geological structures which may develop inside a cave include:
Speleothem
“Speleothem: is a general geological term for a calcium carbonate deposit in a cave, including formations such as stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones.
Flowstones
Flowstones are speleothems on the walls and floors of a cave formed from a gradual flow of water over a relatively broad area.
Stalactite
The term stalactite comes from the Greek word stalaktos, which means “dripping” because these other-worldly formations “drip” from the roofs of limestone caves. Essentially, water reacts to carbon dioxcide to form carbonic acid. It then seeps slowly through the roof of the cave, depositing calcium carbonate which hardens and build up over time to form a stalactite.
Stalagmite
Stalagmites are corresponding formations on the floor of the cave to stalactites. Stalagmites rise from the floor in a build up of calcium carbonate over time, from mineral-bearing water dripping from the roof of the cave. The term stalagmite comes from the Greek word stalagma, to “drop”.
ColumnSometimes stalactites and stalagmites meet, forming a pillar or column of rock-hard calcium carbonate.
Helictite
A formation of calcium carbonate in a cave that grows in a twisted, curled fashion, like a helix (hence the name), seemly defying the laws of gravity.
HelictiteA formation of calcium carbonate in a cave that grows in a twisted, curled fashion, like a helix (hence the name), seemly defying the laws of gravity.
12 comments:
Really enjoyed your post.Back home(India)where I grew up we saw a lot of these caves with stalagmites and stalactites.Brought back memories...Thanks for sharing.
Shantana
Great explanations for cave formations. This does look like an interesting cave.
Hello Shantana. These are great places to explore. It is not nice to be so far away from ome though. I know I would miss mine to if I were away for a long time.
Hello Gaelyn. It was nice wandering around here seeing the formations and what they are still busy doing but the cave near Kruger is still the best. :)
Love reading about the caves Joan. I was in a cave here in the states once that someone had fashioned a pipe organ from stalagmites. The sound was amazing.
Sorry if I already told you about this. After you write to so many folks about so many interesting subjects, sometimes you(I) forget whom I told what to... Does that make sense?
B
B.
Yip it sure does Becky. LOL!! I am the same as I e-mail people too and I can never remember who I told what. LOL!!
Very nice shots
wonderful structures indeed! I feel as though I am looking at photos of space!
Thanks Rajesh. :)
Hello Tammie Lee. It is difficult to images how many millions of years old these are.
I just found out that there are caves south of here that people can visit..I wish I wasn't so afraid of closed in places after getting stuck in an elevator....
What a pity you have this fear Michelle. I think that when one has them it stops you from doing so many things associated with them. It takes a lot of joy out of life.
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