How the droplets form determines the type of formation that will occur. Straw and icicle stalactites are the most common. Icicle stalactites resemble icicles hanging off of the roof of houses in wintertime. They form a stalactite with a wide base. Straw stalactites form with a hollow center much like a soda straw. As the water drips through the straw it deposits calcite on the edges causing it to grow. A constant wind blowing through the cave can cause the stalactites to lean. If the ceiling of the cave has a slope to it the formation will be drapelike. Drape stalactites look very much like the curtains in your living room. .

             Stalagmites are formed the same way as a stalactite. The biggest difference is that they form on the floor of the cave instead of the ceiling and walls. The shock of the drip hitting the floor causes the calcite to separate from the water droplet. The water either evaporates of flows away. With this constantly happening, the calcite builds up and form many interesting shapes. The shapes can look like plates stacked up or ledges. If you use you imagination you can see many different things created by the droplets.

             Many things can change the shape and size of the formations and it is these factors that determine the type of stalagmite. There are three basic formations, the fir cone stalagmite, the dish stack, and gours. Cones are the most common type of stalagmite. The water dripping gently from the ceiling of the cave and forming a small calcite deposit on the floor forms them. Over a period of years, as the water continues to drip, the stalagmite grows ever taller. If the water drips off the ceiling with more force it causes a small amount of erosion in the cave floor. This will form what is known as a dish stack stalagmite. The water splatters outward and the stalagmite grows upward forming a stalagmite that looks similar to a stack of dishes.