How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 8, 2008 6:33 pmWhat is causing the GLITTERY white formations? im stumped.
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How are these formations being made????
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Posted: Oct 8, 2008 6:33 pmRe: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 8, 2008 6:39 pmGuess i should have included this photo ehh.
Re: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 8, 2008 7:49 pmCalcite. different minerals or impurities can create different colors. Most "pure" calcite is white. Crystal size can affect the glittery factor. The odd thing is that generally areas with a sandstone cap don't get much formation action since the water has a tough time getting down. Of course it might be highly fractured....
Re: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 8, 2008 7:54 pmThat is weird.
Re: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 8, 2008 8:22 pmSounds like Breezeway. Over a mile of crazy white formations on top of dark red mud and limestone. Sandstone is close by too. Check out the pictures in this link. http://www.socomogro.org/gallery/breezeway
Re: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 8, 2008 9:01 pmWell that cave is really bizarre. lol
Whats the deal with the pvc ladders?
Whats the deal with the pvc ladders?
Re: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 9, 2008 4:16 amcaverdan wrote:Sounds like Breezeway. Over a mile of crazy white formations on top of dark red mud and limestone.
Awesome pics of those white formations!
Re: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 9, 2008 8:15 amChad
The ladder and bridge were built to cross through a flowstone area and over a lake. in order to see the rest of the cave. The cave is very humid and the trail gets muddier the deeper you go into the cave. Over the years we have tried various methods to keep the area clean, but few have worked. Lots of mud has been transfered and cleaned back up. With the new ladder and bridge in place, you now take off your outer layer of clothes while passing through. We've started to do some major cleaning on the area using battery powered shop vacs and back pack sprayers. I call it a conservation masterpiece in progress. I'm guessing it will be one of the cave trips offered during the Spring BOG meeting.
How about you show me yours and I'll show you mine?
Your invited too.....Batrotter. The rules require a minimum of three people to cave there.
The ladder and bridge were built to cross through a flowstone area and over a lake. in order to see the rest of the cave. The cave is very humid and the trail gets muddier the deeper you go into the cave. Over the years we have tried various methods to keep the area clean, but few have worked. Lots of mud has been transfered and cleaned back up. With the new ladder and bridge in place, you now take off your outer layer of clothes while passing through. We've started to do some major cleaning on the area using battery powered shop vacs and back pack sprayers. I call it a conservation masterpiece in progress. I'm guessing it will be one of the cave trips offered during the Spring BOG meeting.
How about you show me yours and I'll show you mine?
batrotter wrote:caverdan wrote:Sounds like Breezeway. Over a mile of crazy white formations on top of dark red mud and limestone.
Awesome pics of those white formations!
Your invited too.....Batrotter. The rules require a minimum of three people to cave there.
Re: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 9, 2008 5:04 pmSurely you wouldn't leave behind a photographer 
Of course I'd have to get to CO first.....
Of course I'd have to get to CO first.....Re: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 10, 2008 8:14 amI have yet to see pictures that do the cave justice..........but you can try if you want.
Re: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 11, 2008 8:46 amChads93GT wrote:Apparently there is a layer of sandstone over the limestone in this area of the cave, but the cave so far we have about 2 miles and its nothing but one formation after another. ITs down right ridiculous. What is causing the GLITTERY white formations? im stumped.
After we prep the moulds, but before we spray in the fiberglass, we sprinkle in a fine layer of crushed mica to make the glittery bits. Getting them into the passages without scratching them up is a bit of a challenge, and making them fit so that they look natural can take days, but it's well worth it to watch the geologists come up with their explanations for these things.
Oh, wait, was that one of the secrets we're not supposed to tell?
Re: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 21, 2008 11:33 amIf they glitter, this is probably macrocrystalline calcite.
"Macro" means large, as opposed to "micro", which means very small. So, the large crystal faces do a great job of reflecting the light. Always very pretty to find macrocrystalline calcite.
Larry E. Matthews
NSS #6792-F
Professional Geologist
"Macro" means large, as opposed to "micro", which means very small. So, the large crystal faces do a great job of reflecting the light. Always very pretty to find macrocrystalline calcite.
Larry E. Matthews
NSS #6792-F
Professional Geologist
Re: How are these formations being made????
Posted: Oct 22, 2008 8:17 pmWell this cave is full of white glittering formations in this area. One part even has tons of white glittery "sand" looking rimstone dam's that are about 1/4" thick and up to 8" tall. I've never seen anything like it.