Ever proceed caving as a child and were told all about the fantastic structures that form within these epic cavern , only to promptly forget everything the second you see the planetary house for the talent shop ? Well , wonder no more , as we break down the differences between those peskycavestructures .
Stalactites and stalagmites
The sugar and butter of the mineral formations are doubtless stalactites and stalagmites . Formed by mineral deposits build up from precipitation within the cave , stalactites are the icicle - determine organisation that cling from the ceilings . Stalagmites are their upward growing partners that take shape as water is dripped from the roof onto the floor , creating mineral deposits that shape from the ground up , explainsNOAA .
There are many fun ways to remember which one is which ; some suggest that ( stalag)mites crawl up your legs and ( stalac)tites fall down , or use the “ GB ” in stalagmites to name to them growing up from the ground , and the “ t ” in stalactites as the top of the cave .
Speleothem formation
Both stalactites and stalagmites are type of speleothems , derive from the Hellenic Scripture spelaion meaning " cave " and thema meaning " deposit " , explain theNational Park Service .
Rainwater lands on the dry land before seep into cave via cracks in the stone . Along the style the water pick up carbon copy dioxide gun , make the water more acidic . This then passes over limestone rocks ( sometimesdolomite ) dissolving some on the means past . When the water system reach the cave the gas is released , and the calcite is deposited in various forms across the cave drip by drip .
Other formations
While stalactite and stalagmites are advert to as dripstones , because they are make by dripping piss , many other type of cave formation also occur . pillar are created when stalactite and stalagmites join up together , while the bizarre “ cave Zea mays everta ” is form when H2O comes through pores in the rocks , forming rounded bumps that resemble Zea mays everta and in some casestrapping skeletonsinside forever .
In the Eastern United States , a vast sweep of stalactites and stalagmite have formed theworld ’s giving musical tool .
Funkyflowstonescan also occur when the water travels over the walls in flat solid , creating long layers . These can contain different colored mineral sedimentation , earn the nickname “ cave bacon ” due to their streaked appearance .
These cave formations take a long time to build up, sometimes several thousand years.Image credit: zombiu26/Shutterstock.com
These cave formations take a farseeing clip to form , sometimes over millions of days , while others have beenpainted by Neanderthalsand can even help traceancient wildfires .
Don’t eat the forbidden cave bacon!Image credit: Winning Image Photography/Shutterstock.com
