Our special ingredient.
For the Eastern U.S., the limestone's special ingredient
is calcium. Sometimes the calcium (and various other minor ingredients)
does not flush out of the cave with the other sediments. Instead,
these minerals redeposit anywhere in the cave as various formations.
Besides the usual stalagmites and stalactites there are soda straws,
flowstone cascades, pearls, needles, rafts, bushes, coral, popcorn,
draperies, shields, broomsticks, rimstone dams, and bacon, to
name a couple varieties.
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