Petty John's Cave popular destinations of the cave. Formations in Petty John's Cave include: Stalagmites that are a type of speleothem that rises from the floor of a limestone cave due to the dripping of mineralized solutions and the deposition of calcium carbonate. Stalactites are also found in the cave. These formations hang from the ceiling or wall of the cave. There are also pillars, soda straws, cave pearls, flowstones, and cave popcorn are other formations in the cave. In addition, waterfalls can be found in the stream passage section. This cave hosts tri-colored bats during their winter hibernation because temperatures are low
Calcium bicarbonate matter, in the formation of the caves themselves. As water containing carbon dioxide (including extra CO acquired from soil organisms) passes through limestone or other calcium carbonate-containing minerals, it dissolves part of the calcium carbonate, hence becomes richer in bicarbonate. As the groundwater enters the cave, the excess carbon dioxide is released from the solution of the bicarbonate, causing the much less soluble calcium carbonate to be deposited. In the reverse process, dissolved carbon dioxide (CO) in rainwater (HO) reacts with limestone calcium carbonate (CaCO) to form soluble calcium bicarbonate (Ca(HCO)). This soluble compound is then washed away with the