A stalactice hanging above subterranean water. Notice the water reflection.
A stalactite (Greekstalaktos, "dripping") or dripstone is a type of speleothem that hangs from the ceiling or wall of a limestonecave. It is formed from the deposit of calcium carbonate and the dripping of mineralized solutions. The corresponding formation on the floor underneath a stalactite is known as a stalagmite. Should both these formations grow together, meeting in the middle, the resultant formation is known as a column or pillar. Note that icicles are not stalactites, since they are made of water.
There are mnemonics to remember which formation hangs from the ceiling (stalactite) and which grows upward from the floor (stalagmite):
StalaCtite has a "c" for "ceiling".
StalaGmite has a "g" for "ground".
Stalactites hang "tite" to the ceiling above
Stalagmites you "mite" trip over if you don't watch where you're stepping
Throughout the Dripstone Trail, one walks amidst features of indescribable beauty, which are older than the pyramids.
A vast amount of dripstone is found in this portion of the Caverns for two reasons.
First, this section is higher than the other, allowing air-chemistry changes which cause the dripstone to form, and second, this portion is older than lower areas, giving the features more time to develop.
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