Speleological Guatemala

Formations

una de las cuevas mas exploradas del mundo, la Lechugilla Cave en Texas, USA. presenta la mas diversa cantidad de formaciones espeleotemas.

del articulo en ingles: (fuente, https://sites.google.com/site/lechuguillacaves/formations)

The caves of Lechuguilla are most famous for their crystal structures, described in more detail at the bottom of this webpage, but the reality is that Lechuguilla contains dozens of different interesting and unique formations. This is a list of just a few.

Stalactites – The most common ceiling cave formation. It is formed by drips
from the ceiling falling leaving behind mineral deposits that eventually build up.

Stalagmites – The most common floor cave formation. It is formed by drips
from the ceiling falling to the floor and depositing minerals which eventually build up.

Columns – A column forms when a stalagmite and a stalactite meet which is inevitable. Some found in Lechuguilla stretch to be over 50 feet tall.

Soda Straws – Simply just really skinny versions of stalactites (ceiling formations).

Raft Cones – Remains of cave rafts. Cave rafts are thin sheets of calcite
and/or aragonite, that form on dust particles that are found on the surface of a pool. When a cave raft is disturbed, it sinks to the bottom of the pool. Eventually, they build up and form raft cones that are found in dried-up pool basins. Hoodoo Hall in Lechuguilla is one of two places where raft cones can be found.

Bottle Brush – Named after their appearance, these crystals form when stalactites are submerged within a pool for a long time. When the water is removed, they emerge as Raft Cones,
but as time goes on, crystals form creating the bottle brush.

Shelf Stone - Formations from deposits on the surface of a pool, that collect and begin covering the pool. When the water level lowers, the shelf stone becomes independent of the pool and has the new name known as “lily pads” that lie suspended in the cave.

Cave Pearls – Also named after their pearl-like appearance, are formed when water drips into an indent in the cave floor where sand is found. The sand is important here because the pearl’s nucleus is actually made of sand while the rest of the pearl is formed from
calcite deposits.

Draperies – Formations due to calcite rich solutions flowing along an overhang in the cave. The ripples that form in developed draperies resemble cloth which is how they got their name.

Flowstone – The most common formation made of calcite. It starts as thin layers on cave walls and floors and gets thicker over time, gaining a rounder shape. If a flowstone is coloured red, it is usually due to iron impurities. The majority of flowstone found in Lechuguilla are in the area known as Nirvana.

Helecites – Formations of calcite, that grow in any direction giving them the illusion of defying gravity. They get their unusual traits by factors such as: impurities in the calcite, uneven deposition, change in pressure (through dry and rainy seasons), and differing air currents.

The Crystals - The way a crystal forms is determined specifically by the internal arrangement of molecules and the external forces on the crystal which
direct the growth of the crystal. In Lechuguilla, there are no external forces, so the crystals take on wondrous and unique forms. They grow by water depositing microscopic amounts of minerals that eventually build up over hundreds of thousands of years. While the water moves on, the minerals stay
and build.

Aragonite Crystals – are similar to
calcite, except for the fact that they are more brittle and thin. Aragonite is actually very unstable in a cave environment and shouldn’t be able to grow except for the presence of what scientists call “magnesium poisoning”. The magnesium ions found in aragonite crystals strengthens the aragonite so they can grow more easily.

Gypsum Crystals – Almost all of the crystals in Lechuguilla are made of gypsum. Gypsum forms when sulphuric acid eats at limestone and leaves behind gypsum, however, the different formations are too numerous to list or go into detail. The largest formation would be the gypsum chandelier’s found in Lechuguilla’s Chandelier Ballroom which span over 6m in length. Gypsum crystals form all over the cave, spanning even entire walls. The most delicate, would be the gypsum flowers. These flowers form all over Lechuguilla,
mainly on other crystal formations and cave walls, as well as stalactites and stalagmites.

Image: Nirvana in the cave Lechuguilla, Nirvana features both stalactites as well as stalagmites.
© Peter Tyson - NOVA

Image: A column found in Lechuguilla nicknamed the "Wizard's Staff".
© Aaron Stockton - National Park Service

Image: Soda straws hanging from the ceiling of Lechuguilla.

Image: Raft cones found in an area of Lechuguilla called Hoodoo Halls.

Image: A typical bottle brush crystal.

Image: Shelf stone forming on an underground lake found in Lechuguilla.

Image: Lily pads in Lechuguilla suspended mid-cave.

Image: Cave pearls along the cave floor in Lechuguilla in an area known as the Pearlsian Gulf.

Image: Underside view of draperies found hanging from the ceiling of Lechuguilla.
© Shawn Thomas - National Park Service

Image: The spire in the front is called "The Emperor of Lechuguilla" but behind it is an example of flowstone in the formation of steps in the Lechuguilla caves.