Geomorphology
Fall 2005
The Wet Room
Figure 1 - Cave Formations in the Wet Room at Crystal Cave
This room is located in one of the deepest parts of the cave, about 70 feet below the surface. This room was not discovered until 1957. This room contains a variety of speleothems (cave formations), including flowstone and “soda straws”. (fig. 1) The reason this is called the “Wet Room” is simply because it has more water than other parts of the cave.
Water drips down from the surface more easily through joints, cracks in the earth’s surface. These joints are where cave formations are most likely to be found.
This is because cave formations are created when water combines with carbon dioxide from the air or soil to form a weak carbonic acid. This water and carbon dioxide solution then flows into the ground through cracks or joints. This solution is able to dissolve some rocks, such as limestone. As the carbonic acid dissolves the limestone calcium carbonate is left behind and carried by the water. If the solution reaches the open air of a room in a cave some of the carbon dioxide will be lost. The solution can no longer carry all the dissolved minerals and so they are deposited as calcite.
Flowstone is a common cave formation that forms when water flows along the walls or floor covering them with thin calcite layers. (fig. 2) Flowstone can lead to the formation of drapery, which is formed when water flows along walls or ceiling and deposits calcite in thin trails. Water then continues to flow along these trails forming thin, delicate sheets. (fig. 3)
Figure 2 - A flowstone formation at Crystal Cave
Figure 3 - An example of drapery at Crystal Cave. Drapery is also sometimes called bacon.
Soda straws (fig. 4) are small stalagmites that are formed when water drips through a crack in the ceiling and falls to the floor. When the drop of water falls from the ceiling it leaves behind a small ring of calcite, which then builds upon itself until a hollow tube forms. With time, soda straws thicken and become traditional stalactites, icicle-like pillars that hang from the ceiling.
Figure 4 - Soda Straws at Crystal Cave. Notice you can see the water drops at the tips of the straws.
The formation of stalagmites is closely linked with the formation of stalactites. When a stalactite forms on the ceiling and drips water onto the floor some of the minerals from the water that do not stay on the ceiling end up on the floor. Stalagmites resemble large pillars that rise up from the floor.
When a stalactite and the stalagmite beneath it grow so large that they meet, this is called a column. (fig. 5)
Figure 5 - A view of a column in Crystal Cave's Wet Room.
By: Theresa Lenon