What is the name of an fused stalactite and stalagmite? Stalactites and stalagmites

STALACTITES AND STALAGMITES.

Stalactites are very common in caves - “icicles” hanging from the ceiling. different sizes, and stalagmites - “icicles” growing from the floor of the cave.

Word " stalactite" translated from Greek means "drop by drop." The fact is that even the highest stone mountains on Earth are not a solid monolith - they have microcracks through which water seeps from the surface of the mountain into the caves. But water comes into the caves through the thickness very slowly - literally in rare drops. These droplets of water little by little wash away calcium from the rock - this is how stalactites are formed.

Dripping onto the floor of the cave, the water brings with it calcium crystals, which begin to form a “slide” - stalagmite. Stalagmites are usually thicker than stalactites, because when water falls, it splashes and the crystals scatter.

Both stalactites and stalagmites grow very slowly - hundreds and thousands of years. If the cave is not very high, then stalagmites and stalactites grow together over time.

On a polished section of a stalagmite, growth rings are clearly visible.

By the way, there is a very simple method on how to remember what is called a stalactite and what is a stalagmite - in the word "stalag" m it" is the letter M, as in the word "ze" m la". So a stalagmite is something that grows on the ground!

The longest free-hanging stalactite is considered to be a huge stone icicle in Gruga do Janelao, Brazil, 12 meters long, and the record holder among stalagmites has a height of 32 meters. It is located in the Krasnogorska cave near Roznava, Slovakia.

In Russia we have a huge number of caves in which you can see this miracle of nature. If you have the opportunity to visit the caves on a tour, be sure to go - we guarantee an experience of a lifetime!

Why do caves appear?

The earth's surface has a complex structure 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 when high temperature and pressure resulting from volcanic activity. Granite arose under the same conditions. But limestone, marble, chalk, gypsum and salt, which can make up stalactites and stalagmites, were formed by 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 rocks, voids appear inside. They are called caves.

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

According to experts, the largest karst cave on the planet is located in the USA. The state of 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. There are almost one and a half thousand caves on the island of Crete. The most interesting of them is Sfedoni. Its age is estimated from seven to fifteen million years. Its dimensions are modest, only 145 meters. However, its interior (so to speak) is distinguished by amazing proportions and beauty. It seems that it was decorated by human hands.

When first getting to know caves, some people wonder what is the difference between stalactites and stalagmites? In everyday language, stalactites are “icicles” that hang from the ceiling. Water seeps through the soil and rock, simultaneously eroding the minerals that dissolve in it. Once inside the cave, the water evaporates, and the minerals remain in the dry residue. The icicle gradually grows and increases in size. In the case when the mineral solution is weakly saturated, its drops fall from a height and reach the floor. An “icicle” also forms in this place, only with the tip up. This is a stalagmite.

Experts and fans of underground routes never tire of being amazed at the variety of caves available on the planet. It would seem that everything has already been studied and explained. However, new facts force us to 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, research recent years showed that this does not always happen. From the above it follows that the caves have not yet revealed all their secrets. Inquisitive and energetic researchers still have to puzzle over their solution.

Nature never ceases to amaze us; there are so many unusual and interesting things in the world that, upon seeing them, a person freezes with delight. It is almost impossible to travel the entire planet and see all the sights, learn about all types of plants and animals, but still some natural monuments They are found in many countries, which allows a large number of people to become familiar with them.

Stalactites and stalagmites are among the extraordinary creations of nature. there are in many countries, so inquisitive tourists can easily satisfy their curiosity and explore them from the inside. You shouldn’t go far away, because such a miracle exists in Russia, Ukraine, stalactites and stalagmites of amazing beauty are found in Israel, China, and Slovakia.

Their size and shape depend on the size of the cave and its location. Many people are interested in the question of how stalactites and stalagmites differ. It is worth noting that both are formed from calcium and other minerals. Even in the highest rocky caves there are small cracks through which water penetrates. Since they have to go a very long way before they can get into the cave, on their way they wash away the existing mineral deposits. The water never flows in a stream: since the hole is too small, it comes in small droplets.

Stalactites translated from Greek mean “drop by drop”. These are nothing more than chemogenic deposits in karst caves. They come in different types and types, mainly icicles, combs, straws and fringes. Stalagmite, translated from Greek, means “drop”; these are mineral growths on the ground that rise over time in the form of cones or pillars. They can be limestone, salt or gypsum. The main difference between these two growths is that stalactites grow from the ceiling, and stalagmites from the bottom of the cave.

Stalactites and stalagmites can in some cases join together to form a column called a stalagnate. This may take thousands, or even millions of years, because these huge blocks grow from billions of small droplets. This process occurs most quickly in low caves. It can be impossible to get through there because of the densely placed pillars.

Karst caves are considered a favorite place to visit for tourists. People are interested in looking at stalactites and stalagmites, taking pictures next to them, and touching them with their hands. Being next to this miracle of nature, you understand that it existed hundreds of thousands or millions of years ago and has survived to this day. In Cuba, in the Las Villas cave, the tallest stalagmite on the planet was discovered, its height reaches 63 m. The largest stalactite is considered to be a stone icicle hanging in Gruga do Janelao in Brazil, its height is 32 m. Europe also has its own giants, Thus, in Slovakia, a stalagmite 35.6 m high was found in the Buzgo cave.

Stalactites and stalagmites have the same origin, although they look different. The former are thinner and more graceful, while the latter are thick and wide.

Water can create long passages in rocks. Such passages are called caves. Caves in most cases are formed in places where there are layers of minerals that water can dissolve. Caves are rarely a single void in a mountain, but mostly a series of voids.

These voids take the form of halls or grottoes of various sizes. The caves are usually connected by narrow or low passages. Whole people meet in grief underground cities with a system of passages and halls located almost on the same level, or with a slope to one side.

In some chambers underground rivers or streams flow. There are underground depressions where lakes-pools of various sizes with standing water at the bottom of individual grottoes have been preserved.

Cameras can be very large or very small. IN North America there is the famous Mammoth Cave. It consists of two hundred galleries, with a total length of at least two hundred and fifty kilometers. The largest is thirty meters high. The floor of the caves is usually strewn with rock fragments or covered with dust. The bones of people and animals that lived here many thousands of years ago are often found in caves. Then people did not know how to build houses and hid from the cold and predators in caves.

Nowadays, the caves are inhabited by bats, owls, eagle owls and pigeons.

Primitive man, who lived in caves, left in them the bones of himself and the animals he ate, the coals and ashes of his fires, the remains of stone and bone axes and knives. On the walls of many caves, drawings and inscriptions have been preserved to this day.

At the bottom and roof of almost any cave you can see hard, petrified forms that were formed from lime and water droplets seeping through cracks in the ceiling. In this way, the icicle grows slowly but surely, turning over time into a rather noticeable hulk, and it is called a stalactite.

At the same time, another icicle grows from the floor, wider and flatter - a stalagmite. If there are many cracks in the ceiling, then over time many stalactites will grow on it. If you do not break off the stalactites and stalagmites, they will eventually unite with each other and form a strong, shiny column. These droplets on the roof and floor of the cave create very beautiful and impressive architectural ensembles under artificial lighting.

The light effects in glacier caves are even more beautiful, since the stalactites and stalagmites in them are made of ice. At low temperatures they grow not only in winter, but also in summer. On walls and vaults where water does not drip, water vapor is deposited in the form of frost, consisting of large, beautiful ice crystals. These crystals reflect the fire of candles or torches with millions of sparkles.

Lime drip, calcareous icicle, sinter formation, helictide, muqarn, downward projection Dictionary of Russian synonyms. stalactite noun, number of synonyms: 8 projection (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 CAVES composed of Carboniferous limestones. Stalactites are formed by water, slowly... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

STALACTITE, stalactite, husband. (from Greek stalaktos dripping) (mineral). A limestone build-up on the ceiling of a cave, formed by leaking drops of water containing lime. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

STALACTITE, huh, husband. An icicle-shaped build-up of limestone descending from the ceiling of a cave, formed by seeping drops. | adj. stalactite, oh, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Miner. a sinter formation that grows on the ceilings of caves and mines and goes down in the form of icicles. Formed during the evaporation of minerals. water seeping through limestone cracks. This water is hard because it contains... calcium carbonate... ... Geological encyclopedia

stalactite- a, m. stalactite f. gr. stalaktos dripping. A limescale 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. Calcareous... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

stalactite- Drip formation in the form of an icicle or fringe hanging from the ceiling karst cave, which occurs with a constant supply of carbonate in the form of calcite from seeping groundwater... Dictionary of Geography

STALAGMITE or STALACTITE (Greek, from stalagma, thickened drops). Limescale deposits that form at the bottom of caves due to the slow and continuous dripping of limewater from the vaults have the shape of cones with their apexes upward. 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. Ephraim's Explanatory Dictionary... Modern Dictionary Russian language Efremova

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