Speleothem
structure formed in a cave by the deposition of minerals from water,
A speleothem (; from Ancient Greek σπήλαιον (spḗlaion) 'cave' and θέμα (théma) 'deposit') is a geological formation made by mineral deposits that accumulate over time in natural caves. They can take a variety of forms, depending on their depositional history and environment. Common forms include stalagmites, stalactites, and flowstones.
Speleothems most commonly form in calcareous caves due to carbonate dissolution reactions. Their chemical composition, gradual growth, and preservation in caves make them useful paleoclimatic proxies.
Chemical and physical characteristics
More than 300 variations of cave mineral deposits have been identified. The vast majority of speleothems are calcareous, composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) minerals (calcite or aragonite). Less commonly, speleothems are made of calcium sulfate (gypsum or mirabilite) or opal. Speleothems of pure calcium carbonate or calcium sulfate are translucent and colorless. The presence of iron oxide or copper provides a reddish brown color.
“Speleothem” enters the record as structure formed in a cave by the deposition of minerals from water,. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Speleothem, structure and formed can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q154507. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Speleothem” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.