Stalactite

caves · geology · nature's sculptures

Water drips down slowly. Stalactites form when water containing minerals drips through a cave ceiling over and over again, leaving behind tiny bits of rock and minerals with each drop.

Made of many materials. While limestone is the most common, stalactites can also be made from lava, mud, sand, or even ice, anything that dissolves in water and can be redeposited.

Growing takes forever. Stalactites grow incredibly slowly, sometimes just an inch every hundred years, so the impressive ones you see in caves might be thousands of years old!

They hang from above. The word 'stalactite' comes from a Greek word meaning 'dripping,' and you can remember it because stalactites stick 'tight' to the ceiling.

Found in surprising places. You can find stalactites not just in caves, but also in hot springs, under old bridges, and even in mines where water constantly drips.