Indiana Caverns the calcium carbonate precipitates out of the water. The calcium carbonate, in the form of the mineral calcite, a solid, crystallizes onto the bottoms and sides of existing stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, and sheets of flowstone to grow the formations over time. Other minerals are brought into the cave by flowing of water to create white, red, tan, and gray colors on the formations and walls. St. Louis Limestone is primarily made of calcite, but is also known to contain magnesium sulfate, manganese dioxide, ferric oxide, gypsum, dolomite, and aragonite. On the show tour, deposits of calcite, manganese dioxide, and ferric
Cave of the Winds (Colorado) Cave Coral, or Cave Flowers; also commonly considered to be Beaded Helectites which appear to defy the laws of gravity by growing in strange directions and not being forced down by gravity like many cave formations. Silent Splendor is sealed from public view by an Environmental Gate, a large tube made of PVC that seals in moisture to allow the area of the cave to continue forming. Other lesser known attractions include a "bottomless pit," often the scene of practical jokes by the guides, and a one of a kind region referred to as "the rat." In the late 1980s