Solved cryptogram
A stalactite begins as a hollow straw of stone, grown around a hanging drop one film at a time.
Earth Science Facts, sourced to U.S. National Park Service.
Solve it yourself
This fact is a cryptogram here: 75 letters over 19 different ones, graded medium.
Or go to the puzzle’s own page first.
What it means
Water carrying dissolved limestone reaches the cave roof, gives up carbon dioxide to the cave air, and can no longer hold all of its mineral load. A ring of calcite is left where the drop hangs. Drop after drop extends that ring into a fragile tube the width of a drinking straw, and only when the tube blocks does water run down the outside and thicken it into the shape people picture. The whole formation is the residue of leftover drips.
The claim comes from U.S. National Park Service.
- SourceU.S. National Park Service
- CollectionEarth Science Facts
- Difficultymedium
- Length75 letters, 19 of them different
Nearby in the collection
The facts either side of this one.
- National Snow and Ice Data Centermedium, 70 letters
- National Snow and Ice Data Centerhard, 74 letters
- NASAeasy, 69 letters
- U.S. National Park Servicemedium, 77 letters
About as hard as this one
Scored closest to it by the model behind our guide to solving cryptograms.
- U.S. Geological Surveymedium, 72 letters
- UCAR Center for Science Educationmedium, 72 letters
- U.S. Geological Surveymedium, 76 letters
- NOAAmedium, 75 letters