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Stalactites and Stalagmites

Description: Stalactites and Stalagmites Quiz
Number of Questions: 15
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Tags: speleology geology caves
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What is the primary component of stalactites and stalagmites?

  1. Calcium carbonate

  2. Silica

  3. Gypsum

  4. Iron oxide


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Stalactites and stalagmites are composed primarily of calcium carbonate, which is deposited from water seeping through limestone or other carbonate rocks.

How do stalactites form?

  1. From water dripping from the ceiling of a cave

  2. From water seeping through the walls of a cave

  3. From the evaporation of water in a cave

  4. From the condensation of water vapor in a cave


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Stalactites form when water seeps through the ceiling of a cave and drips onto the floor. As the water evaporates, the calcium carbonate it contains is deposited, forming a stalactite.

How do stalagmites form?

  1. From water dripping from the ceiling of a cave

  2. From water seeping through the walls of a cave

  3. From the evaporation of water in a cave

  4. From the condensation of water vapor in a cave


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Stalagmites form when water seeps through the walls of a cave and drips onto the floor. As the water evaporates, the calcium carbonate it contains is deposited, forming a stalagmite.

Which of the following is NOT a type of speleothem?

  1. Stalactite

  2. Stalagmite

  3. Column

  4. Soda straw


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Soda straws are not speleothems, but rather a type of mineral deposit found in caves.

What is the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite?

  1. Stalactites hang from the ceiling of a cave, while stalagmites grow up from the floor.

  2. Stalactites are formed by water dripping from the ceiling of a cave, while stalagmites are formed by water seeping through the walls of a cave.

  3. Stalactites are typically longer than stalagmites.

  4. All of the above.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Stalactites hang from the ceiling of a cave, while stalagmites grow up from the floor. Stalactites are formed by water dripping from the ceiling of a cave, while stalagmites are formed by water seeping through the walls of a cave. Stalactites are typically longer than stalagmites.

What is the largest known stalactite in the world?

  1. The Great Stalactite in Luray Caverns, Virginia, USA

  2. The Giant Stalactite in Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, USA

  3. The Mammoth Stalactite in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA

  4. The Crystal Palace Stalactite in Jenolan Caves, Australia


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The Crystal Palace Stalactite in Jenolan Caves, Australia is the largest known stalactite in the world, measuring 7.6 meters (25 feet) long and 2.4 meters (8 feet) in diameter.

What is the largest known stalagmite in the world?

  1. The Great Stalagmite in Luray Caverns, Virginia, USA

  2. The Giant Stalagmite in Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, USA

  3. The Mammoth Stalagmite in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA

  4. The Crystal Palace Stalagmite in Jenolan Caves, Australia


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The Mammoth Stalagmite in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA is the largest known stalagmite in the world, measuring 19.8 meters (65 feet) tall and 4.9 meters (16 feet) in diameter.

How long does it take for a stalactite or stalagmite to form?

  1. A few years

  2. A few decades

  3. A few centuries

  4. A few millennia


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Stalactites and stalagmites grow very slowly, typically taking thousands of years to form.

What is the most common color of stalactites and stalagmites?

  1. White

  2. Yellow

  3. Brown

  4. Black


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Stalactites and stalagmites are typically white, but they can also be other colors, such as yellow, brown, or black, depending on the impurities present in the water that formed them.

What are stalactites and stalagmites made of?

  1. Calcium carbonate

  2. Silica

  3. Gypsum

  4. Iron oxide


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Stalactites and stalagmites are made of calcium carbonate, which is deposited from water seeping through limestone or other carbonate rocks.

What is the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite?

  1. Stalactites hang from the ceiling of a cave, while stalagmites grow up from the floor.

  2. Stalactites are formed by water dripping from the ceiling of a cave, while stalagmites are formed by water seeping through the walls of a cave.

  3. Stalactites are typically longer than stalagmites.

  4. All of the above.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Stalactites hang from the ceiling of a cave, while stalagmites grow up from the floor. Stalactites are formed by water dripping from the ceiling of a cave, while stalagmites are formed by water seeping through the walls of a cave. Stalactites are typically longer than stalagmites.

What is the largest known stalactite in the world?

  1. The Great Stalactite in Luray Caverns, Virginia, USA

  2. The Giant Stalactite in Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, USA

  3. The Mammoth Stalactite in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA

  4. The Crystal Palace Stalactite in Jenolan Caves, Australia


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The Crystal Palace Stalactite in Jenolan Caves, Australia is the largest known stalactite in the world, measuring 7.6 meters (25 feet) long and 2.4 meters (8 feet) in diameter.

What is the largest known stalagmite in the world?

  1. The Great Stalagmite in Luray Caverns, Virginia, USA

  2. The Giant Stalagmite in Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, USA

  3. The Mammoth Stalagmite in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA

  4. The Crystal Palace Stalagmite in Jenolan Caves, Australia


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The Mammoth Stalagmite in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA is the largest known stalagmite in the world, measuring 19.8 meters (65 feet) tall and 4.9 meters (16 feet) in diameter.

How long does it take for a stalactite or stalagmite to form?

  1. A few years

  2. A few decades

  3. A few centuries

  4. A few millennia


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Stalactites and stalagmites grow very slowly, typically taking thousands of years to form.

What is the most common color of stalactites and stalagmites?

  1. White

  2. Yellow

  3. Brown

  4. Black


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Stalactites and stalagmites are typically white, but they can also be other colors, such as yellow, brown, or black, depending on the impurities present in the water that formed them.

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