Speleothems, from the Greek spelaion (cave) and thema (deposit), are chemical deposits formed in caves. Although close to 200 minerals have been identified as secondary minerals in caves, the bulk of formations that occur in caves consist of carbonates. Dripstones, such as stalagmites (Figure S27a) and stalactites (Figure S27b), and flowstones are types of speleothems. Stalactites grow downward from the ceiling, while stalagmites are their counterparts that grow upwards from the floor. Flowstones, as the name implies, form from flowing water. There are numerous varieties of speleothems that form in the cave environment but carbonate dripstones and flowstones are the most common and voluminous.
(a) Stalactites hanging from a low ceiling, Slaughter Canyon Cave, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, USA (photo: Yemane Asmerom). (b) Giant Stalagmites, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, USA (photo: Yemane Asmerom).
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Asmerom, Y. (2009). Speleothems. In: Gornitz, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Paleoclimatology and Ancient Environments. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4411-3_213
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