Calcite Speleothem
Image: <bdi><a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:ComputerHotline" title="User:ComputerHotline">Thomas Bresson</a></bdi> (CC BY 3.0)
Mineral NameCalcite Speleothem
Chemical FormulaCaCO3
Mohs Hardness3
Crystal Systemtrigonal
Streak Colorwhite
Cleavageperfect rhombohedral
Fractureconchoidal to uneven
Specific Gravity2.71
Colorswhite, cream, yellowish-brown
Transparencytranslucent to opaque
Type LocalityFort Lomont
Mineral GroupCarbonates
Usesscientific study, tourism, collector
Associated Mineralsaragonite, gypsum, iron oxides, clay minerals
Raritycommon
Description
A close-up of a yellowish-brown cave formation, likely a stalactite or similar dripstone, covered in small, rounded, white to cream-colored botryoidal growths and glistening water droplets.
Geological Context
This speleothem forms in limestone caves as groundwater, saturated with calcium carbonate, drips from the ceiling, depositing layers of calcite over time. The presence of water indicates active growth.
