Stalagmites and Stalactites

According to Wikipedia, below:

"Stalactites are formed by the deposition of calcium carbonate and other minerals, which is precipitated from mineralized water solutions. Limestone is the chief form of calcium carbonate rock which is dissolved by water that contains carbon dioxide, forming a calcium bicarbonate solution in underground caverns."

Yes, stalactites are mineral formations that hang from the ceilings of caves or caverns. They are created by mineral-rich water dripping from above and leaving deposits that build up over time. Stalactites are formed through a slow process, and their growth rate can vary depending on factors such as the mineral content of the water and the stability of the cave environment.

Stalactites generally form better in cooler temperatures because colder conditions help slow down the evaporation process, allowing mineral-rich water to slowly drip and deposit minerals to form stalactites. Warm temperatures can speed up evaporation, hindering stalactite formation.

Stalactites are mineral formations that hang from the ceiling of caves, formed by the dripping of mineral-rich water. Stalagmites are similar mineral formations that grow upwards from the cave floor as the water drips down, eventually meeting the stalactites to form columns. Together, stalactites and stalagmites can create beautiful and intricate cave formations.

They will grow as long as there is a supply of water and minerals from above, and until the space between them is finally connected into a column.

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When that happens, calcite may still be deposited but on the outside of the column, thickening the whole formation.

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I do know one column though that is being dissolved! It is quite small, less than a metre high, and called 'The Singing Stal' from squeaking noises made by water trickling down fine channels it has etched into the surface. I do not know why it is decaying, but the limestone around the caves has been heavily mineralised so perhaps the Singing Stal's own water-supply has "found" an acidity-raising mineral. It is located in Charterhouse Cave in an area of the Mendip Hills, S.W. England, that was once worked for lead. Oddly, all the other speleothems around it are still growing,

Stalagmites are formed when mineral-rich water drips from the ceiling of a cave and deposits calcium carbonate, which crystallizes and accumulates over time to create a conical or mound-shaped structure on the cave floor.

Stalactites hang downward due to the deposition of minerals carried by water dripping from the ceiling of a cave. Over time, these minerals accumulate and harden, forming a conical or cylindrical shape that hangs from the cave roof.

Stalactites grow down from the ceiling of caves or other structures. They are formed by the dripping of mineral-rich water that leaves behind deposits of minerals, typically calcium carbonate, over time.

Stalagmites, as well as other forms of "drip stones," form as evaporation from mineral-saturated water causes crystal deposition. The stalagmite grows upward from the floor and mightjoin the stalactite that is growing downward to meet it. Once they join, the formation is called a column.

Stalactites form when mineral-rich water drips from the ceiling of a cave and leaves behind mineral deposits that build up over time. These deposits eventually harden and create the familiar icicle-shaped formations we see in caves.

Stalactites are typically found hanging from the ceilings of caves. They form when mineral-rich water drips from the ceiling and leaves behind deposits of minerals, over time creating elongated structures that point downward.

Stalactites in caves are typically formed from minerals such as calcite or aragonite, which are deposited by dripping water containing dissolved minerals. These minerals precipitate out of the water over time, creating the elongated formations we see in caves.

Stalagmites grow from the floor, stalagtites hang from the ceiling.

I remember this by thinking stalagmites "might reach the ceiling" and stalactites are "tightly held"

Stalactites are made of minerals such as calcite or aragonite that are deposited by dripping water in caves. These minerals are dissolved in the water and are slowly left behind as the water drips from the cave ceiling, building up the stalactite over time.

Stalagmites are formed on the floors of caves as deposits of mineral-rich water drips down from the ceiling. Over time, as the water evaporates, the minerals are left behind and accumulate to form a cone-shaped stalagmite.

when you go into a cave and you see large spikes pointing downwards from the ceiling then you are looking at a stalactite, spikes that point up are stalagmites. Stalactites hang from the ceilings like tights from a washing line, and stalagmites just MIGHT reach the ceiling! They hang from the top of a cave downwards, not from the bottom upwards, that would be a stalagmite. Just to help remember the difference, think "s-t-a-l-a-C (celing)-t-i-t-e" and "s-t-a-l-a-G (ground)-m-i-t-e." StalaCtite comes down from the celing. StalaGmite grows up from the ground. :) When I was a teenager at school the difference was explained to us as being; "Tights come down, and the Mites go up!" A stalactite (Greek stalaktites, (Σταλακτίτης), from the word for "drip" and meaning "that which drips") is a type of speleothem (secondary mineral) that hangs from the ceiling or wall of limestone caves. It is sometimes referred to as dripstone.

Stalagmites grow upward from the floor of caves due to mineral-rich water dripping from the ceiling. The water deposits minerals like calcium carbonate, which accumulate over time and solidify into a cone-shaped formation.

This is caused by the concentration of minerals solidifying over time, normally from groundwater trickling through cracks in the roofs of such caverns contains dissolved calcium bicarbonate. When a drop of water comes in contact with the air of the cavern, some of the calcium bicarbonate is transformed into calcium carbonate, which is precipitated out of the water solution and forms a ring of calcite on the roof of the cavern.

You would find a stalactite in a cave or enclosed area.

Stalagmites are formed in limestone caves from the mineral-rich water dripping from the ceiling. The minerals in the water accumulate over time, building up and forming the cone-shaped stalagmites on the cave floor.

A stagaltite is a round or tapering mineral spire that rises from the floor of a cave. Composed largely of calcium compounds, this solid geologic structure takes a long, long time to form.

The stalagmite is the "compliment" of the stalactite, which hangs from the roof of a cave. A link to a related question can be found below.

Yes, stalagmites are cone-shaped mineral deposits that form on the floors of caves from dripping mineral-rich water. They grow upwards from the cave floor over time, typically made of minerals such as calcite or aragonite.

A stalagmite forms when water containing dissolved minerals drips from the ceiling of a cave. As the water drips down, the minerals are deposited on the floor, slowly building up over time to create a cone-shaped sedimentary deposit known as a stalagmite.