These are live stalactite, stalagmite, "soda straw" (rear left), column and flowstone formations pendant from the ceiling of a cavern in the Black Hills of South Dakota. You can see the drops of water at the tips; those drops each deposit a tiny amount of minerals as they drip off and/or evaporate; in this way, the stalactite's body elongates and thickens over many, many years. It is interesting to see all five types of formations in the space of just a few inches; the longest structure here is about three inches. In this context, "live" means that the formations are still growing. "Dead" would mean they are dry and no new deposits of minerals occur. EXIF:
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