THE GROWTH OF STALAGMITES 

 AND STALACTITES^ 



VERNON C. ALLISON 



U.S. Bureau of Mines Experimental Station, Pittsburgh, Pa. 



OUTLINE 



Introduction 



Historical 



Factors Affecting Stalactitic Deposition after the Lime Solution 



Has Reached the Cave 

 Stalactites 



Growth of Stalactites 



Examples of Growing Stalactites 



Effect of the Various Factors Affecting Their Growth 

 Stalagmites 



Description and History of the Stalagmites Studied 



Effect of the Various Factors upon the Growth 



"Splash Cup" 



The Mode of Origin 



Unsymmetrical Stalagmites 



Stalactitic Curtains 



Seasonal Intermittency 



Growth Indications 

 Classification of Stalagmites 



Limits of the Factors Affecting Stalagmitic Growth 



Division into Thirty-two Types 



The Dichoic Scale 



The Table of Characteristics 



Actual Classification of Stalagmites 



Precautions Necessary 



Examples of Classification Results 

 Conclusions . ■ 



INTRODUCTION 



The methods now in use for evaluating recent geological and 

 remote archeological periods, in terms of years, are not numerous; 

 therefore the addition of another method, even though it is only 



' This paper received the Morrison prize of the New York Academy of Science. 



io6 



