Cave Facts

The entrance to Historic Wyandotte Cave
(CES Media Club)

WHAT ARE CAVES?

Caves are natural holes in the earth. They can also
be called caverns. They are dark and are formed
when water seeps through the earth. The water
mixes with carbon to make carbon acid. This then
dissolves the limestone in the earth. After a while
this forms tunnels and eventually large "rooms"
underground. These are caves.

Caves have many beautiful formations. Some of these
are called stalactites and others are called stalagmites.
Stalactites are formed when the water drips down and
then it dries, leaving a little bit of lime. Then more water
drips down, doing the same thing in the same place until
after thousands of years there are formations that look
like icicles hanging down from the ceiling.
These icicles are stalactites.

Some stalactites on the ceiling of Siberts Cave
(CES Media Club)

There are also formations that form when drops of water
fall down to the floor of the cave. They build up from there.
So, it seems the crystal is growing from the ground up.
These formations are called stalagmites.

There are stalagmites forming on the right.
This is in Siberts Cave.
(CES Media Club)

It is easy to remember which is which. Stalactite has
the letter "c" in it for ceiling. Stalactites form
from the ceiling down. Stalagmite has the letter "g"
in it for ground. Stalagmites form from the ground up.

Wyandotte Caves has many beautiful formations of
stalactites and stalagmites. There are even some that
grow until they meet each other. These are called
columns. Wyandotte has some.

You can see a couple of columns in this photograph.
These are in Siberts Cave.
(CES Media Club)

GO TO PAGE 2 FOR MORE CAVE FACTS

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Comments? Questions? You can e-mail us at: jgoble@cannelton.k12.in.us