Choose the correctly matched cave feature and its formation:

Question

Choose the correctly matched cave feature and its formation:

1. A. Stalactite — Grows upward from cave floor
2. B. Stalagmite — Formed by dripping water from cave ceiling (Correct answer)
3. C. Pillar — Hangs from the cave roof
4. D. Stalactite — Formed by upward mineral flow

Correct Answer

Option B — Stalagmite — Formed by dripping water from cave ceiling

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Stalagmite — Formed by dripping water from ceiling.

Key Points

• Stalactites hang down from the roof of a cave, formed as mineral-rich water deposits calcium carbonate at the tip of each drip.
• Stalagmites build upward from the floor, formed where those drips land and deposit further material.
• Where the two eventually meet and fuse, they form a pillar or column — so the option describing a pillar as hanging from the roof is wrong.
• Only option B pairs the feature with its correct mode of formation.

Additional Information

• A useful mnemonic: stalactites cling tight to the roof, while stalagmites rise from the mound on the ground.
• Both are depositional features of karst topography, which develops on soluble rock — chiefly limestone — through the action of slightly acidic water.
• Other karst landforms: sinkholes (dolines), caverns, underground streams, lapies and karst windows.
• Indian examples include the Borra Caves in Andhra Pradesh and the limestone caves of Meghalaya, which contain some of the country's longest cave systems.

प्रश्न (हिन्दी में)

सही सुमेलित गुफा विशेषता और उसके गठन का चयन करें:

1. A. स्टैलेक्टाइट — गुफा के तल से ऊपर की ओर बढ़ता है
2. B. स्टैलैग्माइट — गुफा की छत से टपकते पानी से निर्मित
3. C. स्तंभ — गुफा की छत से लटका हुआ
4. D. स्टैलेक्टाइट — ऊपर की ओर खनिज प्रवाह द्वारा निर्मित