Stalactite and stalagmite, elongated forms of various minerals deposited from solution by slowly dripping water. A stalactite hangs like an icicle from the ceiling or sides of a cavern. A stalagmite appears like an inverted stalactite, rising from the floor of a cavern., Stalagmites are upward-growing formations found on cave floors. The term “stalagmite” derives from the Greek word “stalagma,” meaning “drop” or “drip,” reflecting their formation process from dripping water. Stalactites are downward-growing formations hanging from cave ceilings., Stalactites and stalagmites are what are known as speleothems, deposits of minerals that form into cave structures and line the insides of a cave. Stalactites are the formations that hang from the ceilings of caves like icicles, while stalagmites look like they're emerging from the ground and stand up like a traffic cone., Stalagmites are their upward growing partners that form as water is dripped from the roof onto the floor, creating mineral deposits that form from the ground up, explains NOAA., Stalagmites are mounds or tapering columns that rise from the floor of a cave, made of calcium salts deposited by dripping water. Over thousands of years, these mounds with rounded or flattened tips gather and build magnificent structures., Stalactites and stalagmites are types of mineral deposits found in caves that accrue through the processes of solution and deposition. Stalactites hang downwards from the ceiling of caves, whereas stalagmites rise upwards from the floor of a cave..