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How is Cave Bacon Formed?

How is Cave Bacon Formed?

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Are there any bacon lovers in the house that get super excited whenever the word “bacon” is mentioned? I mean, we all know that it is the candy of meats, right? Well, if you are that person, we can tell you will fall in love with caves and their Cave Bacon formations.

How is Cave Bacon Formed?

Nature knows how to tempt, test, and treat us – and when it comes to caves, we see this happening a lot. When one hears the word bacon, we can be sure they are thinking of those strips in the morning with a slice of toast and a cup of coffee.

How is Cave Bacon Formed?

This time around, we are talking about a unique cave formation that scientists have nicknamed “cave bacon” due to its high similarity to the favored food type. Cavers can tell you about the fun and exciting experience they have each time they take a tour of various caves worldwide.  

Cave Bacon Coming To Life

The intriguing rock formation is referred to by many cavers as layered flowerstone, and we can clearly link to the name. Just like bacon, those formed in a cave come in varying colors, sizes, and shapes. You do not have to necessarily be told the name when you happen to see it for the first time as we can tell you will shout, “Is that a strip of bacon up there?”

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Like many other cave formations, cave bacon is made of minerals and other materials formed from the rocks that make up the lining of the caves. Water-borne minerals are the main components involved in creating this interesting formation.

When water mixed with minerals travels along the same path every time, it tends to leave some deposits that cause coloration. This water transfer normally moves slowly and is mainly influenced by rainfall or water excessive water exposure in a cave. The different flow of mineral-based waterworks over time creates what we call cave bacon. 

Bear in mind, caves are made of different rocks, and these said rocks contain multiple types of minerals. Whenever water comes in contact with these numerous rocks, the minerals get mixed, and they all have different effects on the route that it travels. While these drippings form stalactites and stalagmites, we have to note the results it is creating in the process.

what is cave bacon made out of

Interestingly, the color-coding helps these formations stand out as well, as they seem to grab your attention when you enter a cave. Like many other cave formations, cave bacon does take years to get to the perfect finish we usually see. After all, water flow over the path goes relatively slow, so one can imagine how much time it takes.

Not So Strange

Even though cave bacon is an interesting feature in a cave, we have to admit water has the power to do so much more. After all, we can tell wherever water flows for long periods, it leaves a mark in place – it could be minor or major. So, what would one expect of water that is mixed with different types of materials? Have you seen water alter the way nature looks, especially when there is excessive rainfall? Many caverns and formations have been carved on the earth’s surface due to water.

Where To Find Some Interesting Cave Bacon

Not every cave in the world has cave bacon, especially in drier places like Colossal Cave of Arizona. You may want to take a trip to Kentucky Diamond Caverns or even check out the Cave of the Mounds in Wisconsin.

Their cave bacon makes you want to take a bite from the dazzling beauty they present. Wanna see one that goes well over 10 feet long? Well, booking your next trip to Jewel Cave, South Dakota, on your next vacation will be more than worth the fun that awaits you.

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