Blue Soda Straw

[Amy]

So...why is this soda straw blue? Something to do with light refraction maybe? But still first time ever Ive seen this effect.

 

[GT]

copper?

 

[sluka]

So...why is this soda straw blue?

Is it blue in normal light or only on photography? Remember the fresh speleothemes has strong luminescence, so blue color could be result of such effect.

Martin

 

[Amy]

So...why is this soda straw blue?

Is it blue in normal light or only on photography? Remember the fresh speleothemes has strong luminescence, so blue color could be result of such effect.

Martin

It was that way in "normal light" (as normal as light in a cave can be? haha) oh is that why only some are luminescent, it depends on the age?

 

[cap n chris]

For answers, purchase/read:

http://www.amazon.com/Cave-Minerals-World-Carol-Hill/dp/1879961075

 

[graham]

It's completely impossible to tell from just one photo of one straw.

I suspect that the answer has something to do with the presence of copper minerals in the water. If that were the case, though, I'd expect the colouration to be present in more than just one straw.

 

[Leclused]

Blue formations come indeed from copper in the water. In France there are several places were blue aragonite can be seen

- Malaval (les bleus)
- Grotte des Ecossaises

Also green formations exists but they are very rare.

- Les vertes in 'Les Grands aven de Mont Marcou"
http://www.associationmontmarcou.fr/

Yellow and white formations also exists and are more commen especially in the south of France - departement Aude and H?rault.

On our club website you can found some photo galleries especially about aragonite in different colours

http://www.scavalon.be/webalbums/Aragonite/index.html

Dagobert (Sc Avalon)

 

[Judi Durber]

Amy -Do you know why you call it a 'Soda' straw I am guessing it is the same as 'Straw' in the UK or is that short for something  :-\

 

[Elaine]

I assumed it is an American thing for the same word as we use just to differentiated it from wheat straw or barley straw.

 

[Fulk]

Who was it made that remark about 'Two nations  divided by a common language'?

As I understand it, 'soda straw' is what in the UK is a 'drinking straw', soda being (UK) 'pop', i.e. any soft  drink (I guess they don't sip cider through a straw in the States).

So ? yes, a US underground soda straw is just the same as a UK straw [stalactite].

 

[Leclused]

So ? yes, a US underground soda straw is just the same as a UK straw [stalactite].

Here in Belgium we call them spaghetti's. 

 

[gus horsley]

I would guess it's chalcanthite, a hydrated copper sulphate which is relatively common in the oxidised zone of copper deposits.  There are chalcanthite stals in the Great Orme copper mines (in limestone), Snowdonia, Cornwall and elsewhere, along with corresponding floor deposits, and I know of at least one location where there are cave pearls of a lovely blue colour.

 

[Fulk]

Here's 'The big blue rock' in Coniston Copper Mines:

 

[JohnMCooper]

The latest Descent Magazine, No. 223, has some nice pictures of colourful (colorful for Amy) yellow, green and blue formations.

 

[Leclused]

The latest Descent Magazine, No. 223, has some nice pictures of colourful (colorful for Amy) yellow, green and blue formations.

With on the cover a photo taken in "Les Grands aven de Mont Marcou"

Also see one of my previous posts for more info/ link about this cave, which also contains one of the most beautiful pitches see http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=10724.msg138546#msg138546 .

Dagobert

 

[Amy]

So ? yes, a US underground soda straw is just the same as a UK straw [stalactite].

Here in Belgium we call them spaghetti's. 

OMG... Spaghetti! that is awesome! haha soemone was hungry when they named that...

Soda straws are just the narrow tubular stalactites..basically...straws. Differentiates them from the bulky/solid all the way through stalactites. Does that help? Like...all soda straws are stalactites but not all stalactites are soda straws.

It did seem to be something with the water, or something, as you had to shine your light up into the hollow core (well, filled with water, actively forming it was wet and dripping) to get the effect. I will note it worked with any light though - incuding someone with a neutral led duo mod so it was not a cool led effect happening. I am not aware of any copper in the area in particular, but I guess it is good explanation as any. It was the only otherwise-white formation in the area, so that could explain it being the only one. Its very small and no one else on the trip had ever noticed it before including people who have been in that cave MANY times.

I have seen green, one of the winners of the nss photo salon this year was a green formation from some mine? or something...somewhere...want to say Colorado...I dont remember...but yeah it was green. Those green photos are way more impressive though =)

Looks like I need to add that cool green cave to my bucket list of caves...I should really start keeping an actual list somewhere in my cave journal. And Leclused - that pitch photo reminds me of Fantastic, deepest in-cave pit in the US. 586ft http://www.flickr.com/photos/masneyb/274211713/#

 

[Subpopulus Hibernia]

Coldfingers in Draenen...

Images from here - http://www.cavinguk.co.uk/draenen/gallery.htm

 

[Amy]

OMG those are friggin' SWEEEEEET.

I had no clue there could be colour as often as there is! Here I was all excited about something weird and new lol guess only new to me...

now I wonder if there is anything that would make it purple...Ive seen oranges and reds (and in fact in that same cave as the blue sodastraw most stuff is yellow/orange/red streaked) and we have green and blue...purple, anyone? Let's complete the rainbow!

Yellows/oranges/reds in that same cave

This one I should have postprocessed a bit, the colours were way more vivid IRL. The brownish was very darkbloodred/maroony colour

 

[Leclused]

Hi Amy,

You wanted purple??? It was alraedy mentioned on this board

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php/topic,10261.0.html

Br

Dagobert L'Ecluse (Sc Avalon - Belgium)

 

[Amy]

Thanks! That is so cool. Now I must collect photos of all colours underground =)