Calthemite

Calthemite straw stalactite growing from the concrete ceiling of an undercover car-park
Calthemite straw stalactite (right side) is bent due to direction of prevailing air movement during periods of its growth.

Calthemite is a secondary deposit, derived from concrete, lime, mortar or other calcareous material outside the cave environment.[1][2] Calthemites grow on or under man-made structures and mimic the shapes and forms of cave speleothems, such as stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone etc.[3] Calthemite is derived from the Latin calx (genitive calcis) "lime" + Latin < Greek théma, "deposit" meaning ‘something laid down’, (also Mediaeval Latin thema, "deposit") and the Latin –ita < Greek -itēs – used as a suffix indicating a mineral or rock.[1][2] The term "speleothem",[4] due to its definition (spēlaion "cave" + théma "deposit" in ancient Greek) can only be used to describe secondary deposits in caves and does not include secondary deposits outside the cave environment.[3]

  1. ^ a b Smith, G.K. (2016). "Calcite straw stalactites growing from concrete structures", Cave and Karst Science 43(1), 4–10. http://bcra.org.uk/pub/candks/index.html?j=127
  2. ^ a b Smith, G K., (2015). "Calcite Straw Stalactites Growing From Concrete Structures". Proceedings of the 30th 'Australian Speleological Federation' conference, Exmouth, Western Australia, edited by Moulds, T. pp 93 -108
  3. ^ a b Hill, C A and Forti, P, (1997). Cave Minerals of the World, Second Edition. [Huntsville, Alabama: National Speleological Society Inc.] ISBN 1-879961-07-5
  4. ^ Moore, G. W. (1952). "Speleothems – a new cave term". National Speleological Society News, Vol.10(6), p.2.