What does speleothem mean?
A speleothem is a secondary mineral formation created inside a cave. Most are produced when water carrying dissolved minerals, especially calcite, seeps through limestone and deposits the minerals around the cave floor, walls, or ceiling. The term covers several familiar formations, including hanging stalactites, upward-growing stalagmites, columns, flowstone, and ribbons of calcite. Speleothems can grow extremely slowly and may preserve valuable evidence about past climates, water levels, and environmental conditions. The word is especially common in geology, cave science, and archaeology, where precise terminology is useful for describing the form, composition, and growth of cave deposits. Although individual formations often receive more specific names, speleothem serves as the comprehensive term for the broad category.
nounA secondary mineral deposit formed in a cave, especially by the action of dripping or flowing water. Speleothems include stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstone, and cave formations composed of calcite or other minerals.
- A mineral deposit or formation produced within a cave, usually by the deposition of calcite from dripping or flowing water.
"The guide pointed out a spectacular chamber filled with speleothems that had formed over thousands of years."
"Researchers used laser scanning to document the shapes of the speleothems in the chamber."
"Colorful mineral deposits have turned the cave walls and ceiling into a display of unusual speleothems."
The standard plural adds -s and is used for both individual cave formations and collections of them.
"The survey mapped thousands of speleothems beneath the limestone plateau."
A single drop of mineral-rich water can begin a speleothem that will keep growing for millennia.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does speleothem come from?
The word was coined in French as spéléothème from Greek spēlaîon, meaning “cave,” and théma, referring to something laid down or deposited. It was subsequently adopted into English as a geological term. Its formation reflects the same Greek root found in speleology and in the English word spelunk, all of which concern the exploration or study of caves.
Related word forms
How speleothem is actually used
The term is chiefly used in geology, speleology, and archaeology. It is more general than terms such as stalactite and stalagmite and includes both formations and the processes or deposits involved in their formation.
Easily confused with speleothem
A speleothem is any secondary mineral deposit formed in a cave, whereas a stalactite is the specific hanging type.
A speleothem is the general geological term, whereas a stalagmite is the specific speleothem that rises upward from the floor of a cave.