Flowstone

This is a 3D Model of Flowstone.

Flowstone is one of the most common speleothems - stone formations, which give some caves a wonderland appearance. Flowstone has been described as “melted cake icing” and “frozen waterfalls.” Flowstone is usually composed of calcite or other carbonate minerals, and deposition is in layers or bands. Where composed of calcite, individual flowstone layers may be very colorful: yellows, reds, and oranges.

Let’s take a closer look at this 3D model. We will first rotate the model right all the way around and then rotate the model down to see from the top of the flowstone, and then rotate the model up to see the bottom of the flowstone.

Looking from the Front

The flowstone is brown with large yellow speckles like chunks of cooked batter that isn’t quite mixed in. The right edge of it is built up into a large lip that stops additional calcite or carbonate minerals from flowing over the edge. There is a tiny break in the ledge and then the lip continues. This section of the ridge looks like a small child hiding his or her face against the back of the flowstone as if he or she is the counter in a game of hide and seek. The back of the flowstone looks like a yellow, gray and white corrugated wall made out of rock. In front of the corrugated wall of rock is a mound gray and speckled hill.  On the left side of the flowstone is a tower-like structure in dark orange that looks like it should be part of stone henge.

Looking from the Right

We have moved the flowstone so that we can look through the small break on the right side  at the stone henge type structure. It is longer than it first appeared from the front. From this angle it looks like a dark, orange tooth with black and white stripes running through it. The “tooth” has a chip on the right side at the bottom.  

Looking from the Back

We have moved the flowstone so that we can look from the back of the stone. The wall at the back of the flowstone blocks our view of the front of the flowstone.  As we move across the back of the wall, we see a section that looks like white bumps covering horizontal dips and valleys. The next section on the back of the wall looks like blueish, gray veins with blue liquid flowing down.  The last section of the back of the wall looks like an inverse knee cap. The wall caves in creating a pocket. The flowstone appears to be smooth here.

Looking from the Left

We have moved the flowstone so that we are just past the back wall. When we look across the flowstone we are directly in line with the part of the right ledge that looks like a child counting in a game of hide and seek. When we move the model so that we are looking on the back side of the “tooth-like” structure, we see that the backside of the structure has waves in and fans out like the top of a clam shell. When we look closer at the “fan” sections, we see lines and dimples in the rock like cracks in a dry river bed. The rock in this section of the flowstone is tan and white with orange and black lines running down the “fan”.

Back at center, front.

Looking Down from the Top of the Flowstone

It’s like we are looking down into a volcano with high sides. We can see the gray stone with the yellow cookie dough-like circles. We can’t make out any visual distinction of what the ridge on the right side resembles. The ridge looks like a pillar standing tall.

Looking up from the Bottom of the Flowstone

The flowstone appears to fan out like we are playing under a gray and yellow cookie dough spotted parachute. There are waves and ripples in the stone like there would be in a parachute if we gathered friends in a circle and moved it up and down causing it to billow in the wind. A little off center, is a cone like tunnel in the flowstone. Here the stone is bright white with bright yellow highlights and  specks brown and black clustered at the top of the cone like cookie crumbs in the corner of a bag of Oreo cookies.