Description:
Stalagmites form inside caves found in areas of limestone rock. Acidic rainwater drips through cracks in the limestone, dissolving the rock, known as calcite. When this water drips from the ceiling of a cave, some of the calcite is left behind, forming a stalactite; where the drips land, some of the dissolved calcite is deposited, forming a stalagmite. This process takes thousands of years.