| SHELFSTONE |
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HOW DOES IT FORM? Shelfstone forms around the edges of cave pools or speleothems (formations) dipped in cave pools. WHERE IS IT FOUND? Shelfstone is found in cave pools, or where cave pools have been. They show the current or past water levels of a cave chamber. HOW IS IT IDENTIFIED? Shelfstone is flat-topped calcite that projects over the edge of a pool where it has grown into the pool. It can be very fragile and delicate or quite thick when the water has stayed in one place for a long time. |
| For more detailed information on speleothem formation, go to our Cavern Geology lesson plan's section on speleothems by clicking HERE. © 2006 Sierra Nevada Recreation Corporation. All rights reserved. |
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