Many people confuse these two concepts. Our educational program will put everything in its place.

In childhood, many people liked to climb caves, if they could take advantage of such an opportunity and found strange stone icicles sticking out of the floor or ceiling. These are stalactites and stalagmites, but who is who - what is the difference between them?

There is a science that deals with the study of caves - this is speleology. According to speleology studies in caves, as a result of a long time, where rocks of limestone, chalk, gypsum, salt and water are present, mineral formations protruding from the floor, growths - stalagmites, as well as hanging like icicles or drop-like mineral growths - stalactites are formed in the spaces washed out by water.

Stalagmites, translated from Greek means a drop. It is an outgrowth that forms from the floor of the cave. It is formed when a drop of water flows down from the ceiling and hits it at one point on the floor, forming a thick, spread out growth similar to a cone. Since the temperature on the floor is lower than on the top, the water drop solidifies faster, and therefore the stalagmites can "grow" faster.

Stalactites, translated from Greek - flowed drop by drop, are stone formations hanging in the form of a needle. When a drop of water slowly drains from the ceiling and at a low temperature, the drop of water solidifies, forming a stone outgrowth in the form of an icicle or a thick needle.

The frequency and fragility of stony formations depend on the composition of the rock, the time of formation of growths and the volume in the cave.

Why do caves appear

The earth's surface has a structure that is complex in composition and configuration. At one time, when the formation of land and oceans took place, various minerals were also formed. For example, basalt appeared at high temperature and pressure as a result of volcanic activity. Granite also arose under the same conditions. But limestone, marble, chalk, gypsum and salt, which can be composed of stalactites and stalagmites, were formed according to a different mechanism, in less extreme circumstances. All of them dissolve in water - this is their distinctive property. When water washes these elements out of the composition of rocks, voids appear inside. They are called caves.

Empty space inside any body is karst. In accordance with this term, most of the caves known to people began to be called karst. I must say that caves can also be formed as a result of other processes occurring in the earth's crust, but this is a topic for a separate discussion. It is important to emphasize that stalactites and stalagmites appear precisely in karst formations. In these voids, natural processes do not stop even for a moment, although they continue for many millions of years. Scientists have calculated that stalactites and stalagmites grow by about 1 cm in 100 years.

According to experts, the largest karst cave on the planet is located in the United States. Kentucky is famous for its Mammoth Caves, whose stalactites and stalagmites attract both tourists and scientists. These caves communicate with each other. The total length of underground halls and passages is 560 kilometers. On the island of Crete there are almost one and a half thousand caves. The most interesting of them is Sfedoni. Its age is estimated from seven to fifteen million years. It has modest dimensions, only 145 meters. However, its interior (so to speak) is remarkable for its amazing proportions and beauty. It looks like it was made by human hands.

At first, acquaintance with the caves, some people have a question about how stalactites and stalagmites differ? Speaking in everyday language, stalactites are "icicles" that hang from the ceiling. Water seeps through soil and rock, eroding along the way those minerals that dissolve in it. Getting into the cave room, water evaporates, and minerals remain in the dry residue. The icicle gradually grows and increases in size. In the case when the mineral solution is formed weakly saturated, its drops fall from a height and reach the floor. In this place, an "icicle" is also formed, only with the tip up. This is a stalagmite.

Experts and lovers of underground routes do not get tired of being surprised by the variety of caves on the planet. It would seem that everything has already been studied and explained. However, new facts make us return to the same questions again and again. It is well known that stalactites and stalagmites are formed as a result of the evaporation of moisture that penetrates from the outside. However, recent studies have shown that this is not always the case. From what has been said, it follows that the caves have not yet revealed all their secrets. Curious and energetic researchers have yet to break their heads over their solution.

The most colorful photos of caves containing stalactites and stalagmites. These usually limestone formations hanging from the ceiling or growing out of the ground are simply mesmerizing. How old are they supposed to be? Many millions, as tour guides classically claim, or can they grow in a shorter time?

(Stalactites photo #1.1)

(Stalactites photo #1.2)

What is a stalactite and stalagmite? The water that seeps into the cave contains particles of limestone or other minerals. When a drop of water flows through the gap and falls, the mineral dissolved in it remains on the ceiling of the cave. Further, drop by drop, these deposits grow downward and after a long or short time, a stalactite is formed on the ceiling of the cave - a hard icicle made of stone or salt. Below, under it, a stalagmite grows, from falling drops from a stalactite. After some time, both limestone formations grow, meet and join into a single column.

(Stalactites photo #2.1)

(Stalactites photo #2.2)

“Caves are formed by the action of groundwater, but how this happens, we do not know,” say evolutionary scientists. But, judging by the new data, it turns out that it is sulfuric acid that affects the formation of at least 10% of the caves in the Guadeloupe mountains in New Mexico and Texas. This means that the caves could have formed much faster than in millions of years.

(Stalactites photo #3.1)

(Stalactites photo #3.2)

The world's tallest stalagmite is located in the Armand Cave in France. According to scientists, its growth rate is 3 mm per year. Then this stalagmite had to reach its height of 38 m in 12,700 years. Such data are not consistent with the age of the stalagmite, which was established by radiometric dating (millions of years). Is the method wrong?

(Stalactites photo #4.1)

(Stalactites photo #4.2)

At Cape Levin in western Australia, there is a water wheel that has just overgrown with stone. And it happened in less than 65 years. This suggests that such natural growths can form quite quickly. But why, then, according to evolutionists, stalactites and stalagmites, whose age is unknown, are formed over thousands or even millions of years?

(Stalactites photo #5.1)

(Stalactites photo #5.2)

Due to the fact that the discoveries about the rapid growth of stalactites have become known today, we can say that the growth of stalactites that we see in the most beautiful limestone caves did not take whole epochs. These beautiful formations could grow very quickly in just a few thousand years during the cataclysmic global Flood.

(Stalactites photo #6.1)

(Stalactites photo #6.2)

Often a stalagmite joins with a stalactite and a column appears. The largest stone column in Carlsbad is over 30 meters high. The ceilings of some caves are hung with short stalactites, like a fringe. In other caves, stone stalactites in the form of needles on the walls shine. There are stalactites that grow to the sides and even up.

(Stalactites photo #7.1)

(Stalactites photo #7.2)

In October 1953, National Geographic magazine published a photograph of a bat that had landed on a stalagmite in the famous Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, and hardened on it. The stalagmite grew so fast that it was able to save the bat before the animal began to decompose.

(Stalactites photo #8.1)

(Stalactites photo #8.2)

In the Jenolan Caverns and various other places, you can see stalactites and stalagmites that have grown right in the structures built by man. Like the Lincoln Memorial, the Jenolan structures contain a cement mortar that is highly permeable, making these formations grow rapidly. Unfortunately, the grown formations are very porous and brittle.

(Stalactites photo #9.1)

(Stalactites photo #9.2)

In Philadelphia, anyone can observe many bridges in which stalactites grow. The length of some of them is more than 30 cm. Based on the age of the bridges, we conclude that all these stalactites are less than 56 years old. Now that's speed!

(Stalactites photo #10.1)

(Stalactites photo #10.2)

The world of stalactites and stalagmites is beautiful and mysterious. These vivid photos tell us about God's amazing laws in the world of geology, about our history, which is not millions of years old, but only 5-6 thousand. And these majestic natural formations tell us about the greatness of their Creator

Lime drip, lime icicle, sinter formation, helictide, mukarn, ledge down Dictionary of Russian synonyms. stalactite n., number of synonyms: 8 ledge (61) ... Synonym dictionary

STALACTITE, a sintered mineral formation consisting of tiny crystals of CALCIUM CARBONATE, hanging in the form of an icicle or fringe from the ceiling of the CAVES, composed of limestones of the Carboniferous period. Stalactites are formed by water, slowly ... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

STALACTITE, stalactite, husband. (from Greek stalaktos dripping) (miner). A calcareous growth on the ceiling of a cave formed by percolating drops of lime-laden water. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

STALACTITE, a, husband. An icicle-shaped calcareous growth descending from the ceiling of a cave, formed by seeping drops. | adj. stalactite, oh, oh. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

Miner. sinter formation growing on the ceilings of caves, mines and descending down in the form of icicles. Formed during the evaporation of minerals. water seeping through limestone cracks. Such water is hard, since the content. calcium carbonate ... ... Geological Encyclopedia

stalactite- a, m. stalactite f. gr. stalaktos dripping. A calcareous build-up on the ceiling or upper part of the walls of underground voids (caves, galleries, etc.), formed by seeping drops of water containing calcium bicarbonate. BAS 1. Lime ... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

stalactite- Leaky drip formation in the form of icicles or fringes hanging from the ceiling of a karst cave, arising from the constant supply of carbonate in the form of calcite from percolating groundwater ... Geography Dictionary

STALAGMITE or STALACTITE (Greek, from stalagma thickened drops). Lime deposits formed at the bottom of the caves, due to the slow and continuous dripping of lime water from the vaults, have the shape of cones with their tops up. Dictionary of foreign ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

M. Sintered limestone formation in the form of large icicles on the ceiling or upper part of the walls of underground voids (caves, galleries, etc.), formed by seeping drops of water saturated with calcium and carbon dioxide. Explanatory Dictionary of Efremova ... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language Efremova

stalactite, stalactite, stalactite, stalactite, stalactite, stalactite, stalactite, stalactite, stalactite, stalactite, stalactite, stalactite (

Nature has always been and remains a mystery to man, both in ancient times and in the modern world. One of these mysteries of modern times are caves. Previously, people were not interested in where they came from - the main thing is that they served as a reliable shelter from bad weather and enemies. Today, the study of caves is engaged in a special science - speleology. Speleologists study in detail all the regularities in the appearance of depressions, the composition of rocks, the characteristics of flora and fauna, and also give forecasts for their development. The caves contain a lot of interesting things: unknown living creatures, various water sources, processes - stalactites and stalagmites. We will talk about them in this article.

How are stalactites and stalagmites formed?

Such processes are formed mainly in karst and caves - where a large amount of mineral rocks is contained. These include limestone, chalk, dalamit, marble, gypsum, salt. Under the influence of rain moisture, which contains dissolved carbon dioxide, the rocks are eroded, and sedimentary water flows into such caves. The appearance of one or another type of processes depends on the rate of water runoff.

- a process consisting of mineral rock and formed from the ceiling of the cave. It is formed when water flows slowly and drops linger for a long time at the top of the cave recess. In the caves, a lower temperature prevails, and it is precisely this that contributes to the solidification of drops. So gradually flowing and solidifying drops form a kind of stone formation in the form of a thick needle, but most of all, the shape of a stalactite resembles an icicle.

Stalagmite- an outgrowth consisting of mineral rock and formed from the lower surface of the cave. It occurs when sedimentary water flows quickly from the ceiling of the cave space and hits one point on the floor. On the lower surface of the cave, the temperature is even lower than at the top, and the drops solidify even faster. Under the force of gravity, the drop hits the floor and spreads a small distance in a circle from the place where the drop fell. Such solidification of drops forms a thick and dense base of the stalagmite, and it looks like a cone-shaped process with a pointed top.

The frequency of location of stalactites and stalagmites depends on the degree of permeability of the cave surface and on the composition of mineral rocks. If the rocks are mostly limestone or gypsum, they will dissolve faster and the water will run down the top of the cave faster. Stalactites and stalagmites in such a rock will be fragile, therefore, when examining such caves, one must be careful - do not touch the processes, neither scream, nor stomp, otherwise injuries from the fall of such formations are inevitable. Sometimes stalactites and stalagmites merge into one continuous column - stalagnate; such columns can form whole columns inside the caves.

Stalactites can look different, it depends on the composition of the rocks and the chemical processes that occur under the influence of carbon dioxide and water. The temperature and air circulation in the cave also have a great influence, if the wind often walks inside, then the threads, processes can be indirect, curved, arched. So in the cave you can see a fringe of stalactites, scallops, drapery, threads, various figures, fungi. The shape of stalagmites can also be different - from simple conical columns to flattened fungi.

Formations in the form of offshoots in karst caves can grow for centuries. Some grow faster, some take longer. There are thousands of karst caves all over the globe, many of them have already been studied, many are still unknown to the world.

The world's most famous stalactite and stalagmite caves

"Mammoth Cave" (USA, Kentucky)

According to scientists, it arose about 10 million years ago, got its name due to its size, its length is about 600 km. Inside there is a whole system of mines and branches. Mineral outgrowths in this cave are located on whole floors, in many of its departments and halls, stone blocks stick out directly from the water. The spectacle impresses both speleologists and tourists, but you need to be careful - it is very easy to get lost in it.

"Crystal Cave" (Mexico)

Inside the cave is filled with gypsum crystals, the largest outgrowth reaches 11 meters in height, and its mass is 54 tons! It is unlikely that ordinary tourists will be able to visit such a cave, because the temperature inside reaches +50 degrees.

"Cave of Throat Barloga" (Russia)

The height of the cave is about 2800 meters, inside there is a whole system of halls, wells and streams of various sizes. The filling in the halls varies from large pyramidal crystalline processes to various clay and calcium deposits. Going down into such a cave is dangerous even for professionals.

Despite all the dangers associated with traveling through such masterpieces of nature, the caves will always beckon with their unique and enchanting beauty, and mysterious silence, where there is its own chronology and its own special course of life.

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