Flowstone in Wind Cave, Hot Springs, South Dakota.

Flowstones (commonly known as Shawls by cavers) are composed of sheetlike deposits of calcite formed where water flows down the walls or along the floors of a cave. They are found in "solution", or limestone caves. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3000x2000, 291 KB) Summary Wind Cave National Park Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3000x2000, 291 KB) Summary Wind Cave National Park Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Doubly refracting Calcite from Iceberg claim, Dixon, New Mexico. ... Alternate meanings: Cave (disambiguation) This article is about natural caves; for artificial caves used as dwellings, such as those in north China, see yaodong. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ...

Flowing films of water that move along floors or down positive-sloping walls build up layers of calcium carbonate (calcite), aragonite, gypsum, or other cave minerals. These minerals are dissolved in the water and are deposited when the water loses its dissolved carbon dioxide, meaning it can no longer hold the minerals in solution. The flowstone forms when thin layers of these deposits build on each other, sometimes becoming rounder as the deposit gets thicker. Aragonite Aragonite is a polymorph of the mineral calcite, both having the chemical composition CaCO3. ... Gypsum is a very soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. // Chemical structure Gypsum from New South Wales, Australia Heating gypsum above approximately 150°C (302°F) partially dehydrates the mineral by driving off exactly 75% of the water contained in its chemical structure. ... This article is about minerals in the geologic sense; for nutrient minerals see dietary mineral; for the band see Mineral (band). ... Carbon dioxide is an atmospheric gas comprised of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ...

Sometimes the deposits are so wide and thin they are called "draperies", and many deposits look like static waterfalls. Some are translucent, and some have brown and beige layers that look much like bacon (often termed "cave bacon"). Bacon is any of certain cuts of meat taken from the sides or back or belly of a pig, or Beef Cattle, cured and possibly smoked. ...

Though flowstones are among the largest of speleothems, they can still be damaged by a single touch. The oil from human fingers causes the water to avoid the area, which then dries out.

See also

• Karst