See Also: stalactite and stalagmite(encyclopedia)
stalagmite(medicine)
stalagmite(dictionary)
stalagmite(dictionary)
stalactite(medicine)
stalactite(dictionary)
stalactite(dictionary)
stalactite work(encyclopedia)

stalactite and stalagmite (sh)




Elongated forms of various minerals deposited from solution by slowly dripping water.

A stalactite hangs like an icicle from the ceiling or side of a cavern. A stalagmite rises from the floor of a cavern. The two are not necessarily paired; when they are, continual elongation of one or both may eventually join them into a column. The dominant mineral in such deposits is calcite (calcium carbonate), and the largest displays are formed in caves of limestone and dolomite.