You are a US citizen and: 1  You are a first time applicant age 18 or older. 2  OR your most recent U.S. Passport was issued when you were under age 16. 3  OR your previous U.S. passport was issued more than 15 years ago.
Cave formations are called speleothem, from the Greek word spelaion, cave and thema meaning deposit. Almost all of them are made of calcite, the crystal of calcium carbonate. Different minerals and different movements in the water account for an incredible variety of cave formations.
Stalactites and stalagmites are types of mineral deposits found in caves that accrue through the processes of solution and deposition. Stalactites hang downwards from the ceiling of caves, whereas stalagmites rise upwards from the floor of a cave. stalagmite is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Formation. Where mineralized water or another transmitting liquid drips from a cave ceiling.