Virtual Cave

Frothing, turbulent lava flowing through a tube, or breakdown falling into molten lava, can splash stalactites on the ceiling, coating them with additional lava. The ends of such stalactites are likely to be irregular, as dripping lava hardens. In the first photo, a later flow of red lava has splashed the pre-existing stalactites.

More commonly, splash stalactites can be a primary form, creating stalactites where none had existed before, as in the lower photo.