Having worked during the development at Natural Bridge Caverns in 1963 and 1964 and regularly visiting the cave since, I have been amazed at the growth of calcite in areas where there was none. As might be expected, growth is proportional to how active water seepage is at any particular area. In the last tunnel before entering Pluto's Anteroom, there is an area on the right wall that is now covered with an impressive layer of calcite sporting hundreds of mini travertine dams.
Farther down the trail near the bottom of the Switchbacks, just above Sherwood Forest, there is a low constructed stone wall that holds back a small pool during wet weather. The wall is now unrecognizable as something we built some 43 years ago. All sides are covered with a thick layer of calcite, the top sporting numerous small travertine dams and the pool side is filling in with calcite. From nonscientific observations the figure often used by guides of one cubic inch per hundred years seems reasonable in areas with sufficient water. This formation growth is from cave water in cave conditions so it is reasonable to extrapolate formation growth from these observations. There are numerous other examples of significant formation growth in the cave. Orion Knox ----- Original Message ----- From: Fritz Holt To: Don Cooper ; Don Arburn Cc: Texas Cavers ; jhol...@hotmail.com ; geekazoidman...@hotmail.com ; bl...@vownet.net Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 10:17 AM Subject: RE: [Texascavers] [Bat "Caught" by Stalactite] I am waiting for a knowledgeable geologist or someone to tell us that these formations are not formed by the same minerals or in the same manner in which cave formations are formed. I'm sure that there must be an explanation why these formations grew at such a rapid rate. Fritz with questions.
