speleothems what is
A speleothem (/ËspiËliËÉÎ¸Ém/ ; Greek : cave deposit), commonly known as a cave formation, is a secondary mineral deposit formed in a cave.Speleothems are typically formed in limestone or dolostone solutional caves.peleothems formed from salt, sulfur and other minerals are also known. Speleothems made of pure calcium carbonate are a translucent white color, but often speleothems are colored by minerals such as iron, copper or manganese, or may be brown because of mud and silt particulate inclusions.