What is a stalactite? Detailed answer

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What is a stalactite? Detailed answer

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What is a stalactite?

Stalactites appear in caves. To find out how they form, let's explore one of these caves - Carlsbad Cave in New Mexico. The rock in Carlsbad is limestone.

Limestone is a fairly soft rock that can be dissolved with weak acid. The acid that dissolves limestone is found in rainwater. Falling raindrops pick up carbon dioxide from the air and from the soil. This carbon dioxide converts rainwater into carbon dioxide. About a million years ago, one drop of rain stayed on the ceiling of the cave. As the water evaporated, a tiny ring of lime crystallized on the ceiling.

The second drop, and after it the third, fourth and fifth left lime in the same place. Time passed, lime rings formed a small tubercle, "icicle". She continued to grow. Another drop of water fell on the floor of the cave. And lime remained again. Time passed, thousands of drops fell on the same place. Particles of lime formed something like a thick stone candle. "Candle" continued to grow.

The stone icicle on the ceiling is called a stalactite. The thick "candle" on the floor is called a stalagmite. Stalactites and stalagmites come in different heights, depending on the degree of dampness in the cave, the temperature and the thickness of the limestone layer above the cave. Some stalactites grow 2 cm a year, while others take hundreds of years. Often, upward-growing stalagmites join with downward-growing stalactites to form columns.

The largest column in Karlsbad is over 30 m high. The ceilings of some caves are covered with short stalactites that look like fringes. In other caves, stone needles on the walls sparkle. Some stalactites grow sideways and up as well as down. When water stops flowing into the caves, the stalactites stop growing and the cave is considered "dead".

Author: Likum A.

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