Description
A stalactite (UK: , US: ; from Ancient Greek __ σταλακτός ( _stalaktós ) 'dripping', from __ σταλάσσειν ( stalássein )_ 'to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble and that can be deposited as a colloid, or is in suspension, or is capable of being melted, may form a stalactite. Stalactites may be composed of lava, minerals, mud, peat, pitch, sand, sinter, and amberat (crystallized urine of pack rats). A stalactite is not necessarily a speleothem, though speleothems are the most common form of stalactite because of the abundance of limestone caves.
The corresponding formation on the floor of the cave is known as a stalagmite. Mnemonics have been developed for which word refers to which type of formation; one is that stalactite has a C for "ceiling", and stalagmite has a G for "ground". Another example is that stalactites "hang on T ight" and stalagmites " M ight grow up" – with emphasis on the " T " and " M " linked to similar sounding words.
Stalactite News
Tags ≈ Stalactite
Collections
No collections available for this topic.
