speleothem

   1. General term for all cave mineral deposits, embracing all stalactites, flowstone, flowers, etc. Most are formed of calcite whose precipitation processes, related mainly to carbon dioxide levels in the water, are the direct reverse of the dissolution of limestone. Climatic influences on dissolution processes ensure that speleothems are generally larger and more abundant in the caves of the wet tropics, which are typified by thick stalactites and massive stalagmites, in contrast to the straws and flowstones of alpine caves [9].

   2. General term for stalactites, stalagmites, moonmilk, helictites, and other secondary mineral deposits in caves and caverns [20].

   3. A secondary mineral deposit formed in caves, such as stalactite or stalagmite [10].

   Synonyms: (French.) concrétions cavernicoles; (German.) Höhlenformation; (Greek.) speleolithoma; (Italian.) concrezione; (Russian.) natecnia obrazovanija; (Spanish.) concreción ( estalagmítica o estalactítica); (Turkish.) magara oluÕu™ u; (Yugoslavian.) sige.

   See also cave formation.