NOVA | Mysterious Life of Caves | Jewel of the Underground 12

Jewel of the Underground

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Glacier Way
Globular coralloids, found here interspersed with frostwork, are also known as cave popcorn. The reason why is obvious in this image, whose field of view is about 12 inches. Coralloids and frostwork often grow together, because both form in places where the principal cause of deposition is evaporation.

Note: The photographs in this feature, except for the opening image, appear in the book Lechuguilla: Jewel of the Underground, and they were taken by photographers Sura Ballmann, Kevin Downey, and Urs Widmer, with the help of various assistants. For information on the book, see Links & Books, and for details on who shot what, see photo credits.