noun
- Mineral formations in caves that grow in unusual curved or spiral directions, defying gravity, typically composed of calcite or aragonite.
Usage: plural of helictite; geology/speleology term; also called eccentric stalactites
Examples
- The cave's helictites twisted in impossible spirals across the ceiling.
- Geologists study helictites to understand mineral deposition in cave environments.
- These delicate helictites seemed to defy the laws of gravity.
- The formation of helictites remains partially mysterious to speleologists.