Spotlight on Various Calcite Shapes in the Bear Cave
Calcite takes on unprecedented shapes in the caves. These are just some of them
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Welcome to the Bear Cave
Stalactites peeking through the water by M_Gospodarek#2The Bear Cave
The calcium carbonate accumulated in the water
...is deposited in the cave in a crystalline form - calcite. Calcite cements the underground collapses, covers the cave walls with calcite pours. Over time, the cave has been decorated with calcite formations of very different shapes and sizes.
The most famous stalactites
...hanging from the ceiling along with thin pasta. To meet the stalactites often come out from below squat stalagmites. When a stalagmite comes into contact with a stalactite, a stalagmite, or infiltration column, is formed.
Drops of water flowing over the irregularities of the cave ceiling form impressive draperies - calcite draperies.
The calcite pasta by A_Niedbala#17The Bear Cave
Calcite pasta
Water drips through a slim channel inside. The pasta is delicate and of very different lengths.
Stalactites in morror by A_Niedbala#3The Bear Cave
Stalactites
Gravitational cave infiltration usually having the shape of an elongated inverted cone (icicle), growing from the ceiling of the karst cave towards its floor.
The stalagmite cluster by A_Niedbala#14The Bear Cave
Stalagmites
They come in the shapes of cones, towers, mushrooms and more. They grow from the bottom of the cave to the top.
A calcite candlestick by M_Gospodarek#3The Bear Cave
A notice of stalagmites by M_Gospodarek#4The Bear Cave
Stalagnates
They are shaped like columns. They are formed by joining a stalactite growing from the top with a stalagmite growing from the cave floor.
The stalagnates by A_Niedbala#20The Bear Cave
In addition to the aforementioned infiltration forms, the Bear Cave boasts an exceptionally rich infiltration formations of the cave floor.
These are travertine hollows
... filled with water, at their bottom form hedgehogs calcite, calcite flowers crystallizing on the surface of the water in the bowls, forms similar to reefs coral, rice fields or cauliflowers.
Calcite bowls by A_Sawicki#2The Bear Cave
Travertine hollows
Inside the hollows filled with water the processes of calcium carbonate crystallization take place which lead to the occurance of various calcite microforms.
Some strange calcite shapes by A_Niedbala#27The Bear Cave
Interested in Natural history?
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