Giant Limestone Stalagmite Columns

 

Hidden down in a large cave opening are these massive limestone stalagmite columns. Note the person in the photo at the base to get an idea of the scale.

These columns have been sculpted over millennia by the slow persistence of water. As rainwater filters through the earth, it absorbs carbon dioxide to become slightly acidic, allowing it to dissolve the limestone rock as it seeps downward. When these mineral-rich droplets finally fall and hit the cave floor, they leave behind microscopic traces of calcite. Over a long period, these tiny layers have stacked steadily upward to build the monumental stalagmite columns seen in the photo.