Stalagmite in the Sablin Caves
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Excerpt characterizing Stalagmite
- She loves you."Don't talk nonsense ..." said Prince Andrew, smiling and looking into Pierre's eyes.
“He loves, I know,” Pierre shouted angrily.
“No, listen,” said Prince Andrey, stopping him by the hand. - Do you know in what position I am? I need to tell everything to someone.
“Well, well, you say, I’m very glad,” Pierre said, and indeed his face changed, the wrinkle smoothed out, and he happily listened to Prince Andrey. Prince Andrew seemed and was a completely different, new person. Where was his longing, his contempt for life, his disappointment? Pierre was the only person to whom he dared to speak; but on the other hand he told him everything that was in his soul. Either he easily and boldly made plans for a long future, talked about how he could not sacrifice his happiness for the whim of his father, how he would force his father to agree to this marriage and love her or do without his consent, then he wondered how something strange, alien, independent of him, to the feeling that possessed him.
- I would not believe someone who would tell me that I can love so much, - said Prince Andrey. - This is not at all the feeling that I had before. The whole world is divided for me into two halves: one - she and there is all the happiness of hope, light; the other half - everything, where it is not, there is all despondency and darkness ...
“Darkness and gloom,” repeated Pierre, “yes, yes, I understand that.
- I cannot but love the light, I am not to blame for this. And I am very happy. You understand me? I know that you are happy for me.
STALACTITES AND STALAGMITES.
In caves, stalactites are very common - "icicles" of various sizes hanging from the ceiling, and stalagmites - "icicles" growing from the floor of the cave.
Word " stalactite"translated from Greek means" dripped. "The fact is that even the highest stone mountains on Earth they are not a solid monolith - they have microcracks through which water seeps from the surface of the mountain into the caves. But water comes to the caves through the thickness very slowly - literally in rare drops. These water droplets are slightly washed out of the rock of calcium - this is how stalactites are obtained.
Dripping onto the cave floor, water brings with it calcium crystals, which begin to form a "slide" - stalagmite... Stalagmites are usually thicker than stalactites, because water splashes when falling and crystals crumble.
Both stalactites and stalagmites grow very slowly - hundreds and thousands of years. If the cave is not very high, then stalagmites and stalactites grow together over time.
The growth rings are clearly visible on the polished section of the stalagmite.
By the way, there is a very simple method of how to remember what to call a stalactite and what a stalagmite - in the word "stalag m it "there is a letter M, as in the word" ze m la ". So stalagmite is what grows on earth!
The longest free-hanging stalactite is considered to be a huge stone icicle in Gruga do Janelao, Brazil, 12 meters long, and the record holder among stalagmites has a height of 32 meters. It is located in the Krasnogorsk cave near Roznava, Slovakia.
We have a huge number of caves in Russia where you can see this miracle of nature. If you have the opportunity to visit the caves with an excursion - be sure to go - we guarantee an experience of a lifetime!
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Nature never ceases to amaze us, there are so many unusual and interesting things in the world that, seeing them, a person freezes with delight. It is almost impossible to travel the whole planet and see all the sights, learn about all types of plants and animals, but still some natural monuments are found in many countries, which allows a large number of people to get to know them.
The extraordinary creations of nature include stalactites and stalagmites. there are in many states, so curious tourists can easily satisfy their curiosity and inspect them from the inside. You should not go to distant lands, since such a miracle exists in Russia, Ukraine, stalactites and stalagmites of amazing beauty are located in Israel, China, Slovakia.
Their size and shape depends on the size of the cave and its location. Many are interested in the question of how stalactites and stalagmites differ. It should be noted that both are formed from calcium and other minerals. Even in the tallest rocky caves there are small crevices through which water penetrates inside. Since you need to go a very long way until you can get into the cave, on their way they wash out the existing deposits of minerals. Water never runs in a stream: because the hole is too small, it comes in small droplets.
Stalactites in translation from Greek mean "leaked drop by drop". This is nothing more than chemogenic deposits in karst caves. They come in different types and types, mainly icicles, combs, straws and fringes. Stalagmite in translation from Greek means "drop", these are mineral growths on the ground, rising over time in the form of cones or pillars. They can be limestone, salt or gypsum. The main difference between the two outgrowths is that stalactites grow from the ceiling and stalagmites grow from the bottom of the cave.
Stalactites and stalagmites in some cases can combine, turning into a column called a stalagnate. This can take thousands, if not millions of years, because these huge blocks grow from billions of small droplets. This process takes place most quickly in low caves. It is sometimes impossible to get through there because of the densely stacked pillars.
Karst caves are considered a favorite place for tourists to visit. People are interested in looking at stalactites and stalagmites, taking pictures next to them, touching them with their hand. Being near this miracle of nature, you understand that it existed hundreds of thousands or millions of years ago and has survived to this day. In Cuba, in the Las Villas cave, the tallest stalagmite on the planet was discovered, its height reaches 63 m.The largest stalactite is considered to be a stone icicle hanging in Gruga do Janelao in Brazil, its height is 32 m.Europe also has its own giants. Thus, in Slovakia, in the Buzgo cave, a stalagmite with a height of 35.6 m was found.
Stalactites and stalagmites have the same origin, although they look different. The former are thinner and slender, while the latter are thicker and wider.
Greek, from stalagma, a liquid that has penetrated drop by drop. Lime accumulation at the bottom of the cave has the shape of a cone with its apex upward. An explanation of the 25,000 foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language, with the meaning of their roots. Mikhelson ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
stalagmite- a, m. stalagmite f. gr. stalagma drop, stream. Lime build-up at the bottom of underground voids (caves, galleries, etc.), formed by drops of water containing calcium bicarbonate falling from the ceiling. ALS 1. Droppers having addition ... ... Historical Dictionary of Russian Gallicisms
Torchun, riser, icicle, on the contrary, drip, outgrowth, outgrowth Dictionary of Russian synonyms. stalagmite n., number of synonyms: 5 drip (7) ... Synonym dictionary
STALAGMITE, a drip mineral formation composed of CALCIUM CARBONATE crystals, rising as an icicle or column from the bottom of CAVES in carbon-rich limestone regions. Stalagmites are formed by water dripping from the ceiling of the cave and ... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary
STALAGMITE, stalagmite, husband. (from the Greek stalagma drop) (miner.). Lime build-up on the cave floor, formed by seeping water droplets with lime. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
STALAGMIT, ah, husband. A rising limestone build-up at the bottom of the cave, formed by drops falling from the ceiling and in the shape of a standing icicle. | adj. stalagmite, oh, oh. Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
Male, lat. lime drip, hardening, forming various patterns in caves. Stalactite husband. lime drip, overhanging, eg. in caves, icicles on top. Tovy, to one or the other related Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary. IN AND. Dahl. 1863 ... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
Miner. drip formation (usually limestone), arising at the bottom of caves during evaporation of mineralized water dripping from above and growing from bottom to top. Geological Dictionary: in 2 volumes. M .: Nedra. Edited by K. N. Paffengolts and others. 1978 ... Geological encyclopedia
stalagmite- A drip-like drip formation in the form of a cone or column, rising from the bottom of a karst cave, arising from the constant supply of carbonate in the form of calcite from percolating groundwater falling down from the stalactite. → Fig. 310 ... Geography Dictionary
M. Incipient limestone formation in the form of large icicles at the bottom of underground voids (caves, galleries, etc.), formed by drops of water saturated with calcium and carbon dioxide falling from the ceiling. Efremova's Explanatory Dictionary. T.F. Efremova. 2000 ... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova
How are karst caves formed? Stalactites and stalagmites - what are they? Main breed Crimean mountains- limestone. Cracked rocks easily absorb moisture. Rain and melt water with dissolved carbon dioxide flows through them deep into the mountain. This very weak carbonic acid interacts with limestone (calcium carbonate), transforms it into a soluble state (calcium bicarbonate), for many millennia it washes and grinds its bed. This is how a growing waterlogged cave is formed. With time underground river can find a new crack and go down one, two, three, or even all six floors, as in Kizil-Kobe (Red Caves). The lower "wet" caves continue to grow, the upper ones retain their original shape.
Stages of karst caves formation
- Rain and melt water seeps through capillaries through the soil with rocks, absorbs carbon dioxide. Small streams along the cracks gather into an underground river.
- Water (weak carbonic acid) continues to flush its bed. Limestone becomes soluble and is washed out of the rocks, making the water hard.
- In the middle of the cave, the water goes into a crack and begins to create a different channel for itself. In an abandoned cave (already free from the river) stalactites grow.
- The river washes a completely new channel. Large stalactites grow in the cave.
How are stalactites formed?
Dripping from the vaults of the caves hard water... These are sediments, transformed into stone rocks, which seeped from the surface of the earth through the "roof", and their own cave condensate. A reverse reaction takes place on the surface of the stone. Dissolved in water, calcium bicarbonate is again converted into carbonate, giving off carbon dioxide. In everyday life, a similar process leads to the appearance of plaque on the bathrooms, scale in pots and radiators.
First, a ring appears on the rock, then a growing tube. Until the hole is clogged, water drips from it, and gradually a sharp straight stone icicle grows - stalactite... If the watercourse is good, if there are no adjacent drops, the stalactite will be solitary and can grow large. Where there has been a constant rain for centuries, a whole forest of stalactites grows, usually of different lengths and thicknesses, sometimes of different colors. If the drops are very small, dense thickets of "straws" more than a meter long and several millimeters thick may appear, transparent, shining in the light of a lantern, like an exquisite underground chandelier.
What are seasonal stalactite rings?
Outwardly, they look like tree rings of wood. By them, you can also determine the age, weather at times distant from us for thousands and even millions of years. To do this, determine the isotopic and chemical composition the desired "ring". It is important not to be mistaken, because there are so many rings!
A modern ion mass spectrometer allows sampling from layers one hundredth of a millimeter thick - this corresponds to an analysis accuracy of one year.
How long do stalactites grow?
The growth rate of cave stalactites is very different. It depends on the amount and composition of water flowing down from the "ceiling", on the temperature and humidity of the air in the cave. It is difficult even to talk about some average values. In some caves, meter stalactites grow in a thousand years, in others - in five thousand years. But in any case, a broken off "stone icicle" is an irreparable damage to nature. The trail of a moral crime is like killing an animal for fun.
Stalagmites, stalagnates and other drip formations
What other forms are drip-like formations in caves? In the place where the drop falls, first a speck appears, then a tubercle of insoluble salts (basically all of the same calcium carbonate). The tubercle grows, turns into a stone stump - sometimes pointed, but more often flat or rounded by random spraying of hard water. This is how stalagmite... Usually it is larger, thicker and stronger than stalactite, because water flows down its walls and all the released carbonate is used for construction. And also because the stalactite sooner or later breaks off under its own weight, and the stalagmite never.
If the movement of water is not disturbed, the stalactite grows together with the stalagmite. The strongest underground column is formed - stalagnat. From now on, she is no longer threatened by anything except earthquakes, so the stalagnates can grow to gigantic proportions.
Flowing down the sloping vaults of the cave, the hard water leaves behind not specks, but strips of calcium carbonate. These stripes grow in thickness and turn into thin, flat ones over time. sail... They are even and wavy, like the edges of a tablecloth, they can cover the entire wall to the ground, or they can remain in the form of pasties, forming a "cornice" or "chandelier", and then grow like ordinary stalactites. It all depends on the movement of a whimsical, wayward, "lazy" water drop, which always chooses the easiest and most profitable path for itself. Usually scallops ring when you knock on them with a stick, so the walls overgrown with scallops are called xylophones or bodies.
The most interesting and unusual of the karst sediments are helictites, or eccentrics... Starting to grow like stalactites, they bend strangely and bizarrely. Sometimes these are stalactites of the second order, they grow like branches on a tree trunk. Why do stalactites begin to grow to the sides, like druses of crystals, or even twist into a spiral, turning into helictites? Science does not provide a precise answer. The mechanics and chemistry of the growth of helictites are borderline phenomena between two forms: drip and crystalline. Found helictites in the caves "200 years of Simferopol", Nizhny Bair.
Helictites form in places where the air is motionless; there, the same calcium bicarbonate, dissolved not in the water dripping from the arches, but in the moisture of the air, goes into a solid state.
Underground waterfalls also leave traces of limestone. It grows as a dense natural layer and will remain a decoration for tens and hundreds of thousands of years. Even after the irrelevant river leaves the upper floors of the cave, we see frozen stone waterfalls…
Drops and rivulets flow into the trays, along the edges of which a limestone roller grows - water dam... In gurovnyh baths there is a life: stone "water lilies" and "lotuses" with rounded "buds" and flat "leaves" lying in the water grow.
In some trays it ripens cave pearls... Is not precious stone, but the composition of sea and cave pearls is the same. It is believed that a grain of sand that has fallen into the bath rotates in a stream of water and is gradually enveloped in limestone (which in its pure form is transparent, like glass). But pearls are formed in very quiet backwaters ...
A moist, soft, shapeless white mass, sometimes with a bluish tinge, was called moon milk... It's all the same calcium carbonate. Moon milk decorates caves in its own way, and dried milk crumbles when pressed into a fine powder. How moon milk is formed, the true secret of karst caves, is something only obscure assumptions are made about. Nothing in nature, except calcite, exists in this state. Moon milk is dry and wet, liquid and dense, viscous and flowing. In reality, this substance is neither solid nor liquid, it is generally incomprehensible what ... Scientists bypass this topic, leaving the lovers of exoticism with a clear field for thought and imagination.
Aragonite Crystals
When the water leaves, the growth of the cave stops, but its interior continues to be enriched with new decorations. Air humidity in deep stone cavities approaches 100%. Water vapor is saturated with calcium bicarbonate ions, and crystals grow on stones (more often along cracks).
The whimsicality, whimsicality of aerosol crystallization figures is incomparable with any drips: created according to the laws of the microworld, they depend on the composition and concentration of ions, on the paths of movement of water molecules, on the rules for constructing crystal lattices with all their additions and deviations. Aragonite Is a solid type of calcite. It forms at fairly low temperatures, most often underground - in caves, ore deposits, in cold springs.
In the caves, you can find the smallest crystals of aragonite. When there are many of them, they shine in the beam of a lantern, like celestial stars. Sometimes large acute-angled crystals grow, and nearby - small ones, collected in "twigs", in "fluff", in "snowflakes". These can be sharp-pointed "hedgehogs", "flourishing" stalactites of various shades, separate and collected in inflorescences "cave flowers" of different colors and unimaginable shapes.
The most interesting and varied underground decorations grow as a result of the combined action of liquid water and an ion-rich aerosol. Graceful anthropomorphic figurines, animals, "hairy Ago", "jellyfish" with fringed "tentacles" around the edges, "sea anemones" ... In a word, get your camera ready, open your notebook, fantasize! But everything will be poor, everything is not the same: we are mere mortals, and the caves were created by her majesty Nature. Not equal.
