Cave of the Mounds the Interior and the National Park Service. To be considered a NNL, "a site must be one of the best examples of a natural region's characteristic biotic or geologic features." Cave of the Mounds is home to many varieties of speleothems. As with most caves, stalactites and stalagmites are common. Formations found inside the cave include: These formations come in many different brilliant colors such as reds, browns, blues, and grays. The reds and browns are caused by the presence of iron oxide in the formation. Similarly, blues and grays are caused by manganese oxide. Some speleothems are even partially
Calcium cycle layers of shell which over time cement to form limestone. This is the origin of both marine and terrestrial limestone, formed over long periods of time . The concentration of marine calcium depends on the depth of the ocean, as its solubility is altered with pressure. In deep ocean, roughly 1% more calcium is present when compared to surface concentrations. This is due to the solubility of calcium at higher pressure, thus associating higher concentration with increasing depth. The higher pressure stops calcium carbonate precipitation, whilst simultaneously enabling the dissolution of calcium carbonate sediment such as shells. As a result,