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Study Reveals Math Behind Stalagmite Shapes and Climate

10/17/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows stalagmite shapes follow a mathematical rule.
Physicist Piotr Szymczak of the University of Warsaw led the study, linking the Damköhler number to stalagmite shape via drip rate.
Fast-flowing water yields pointed shapes, while slower dripping forms thicker columns.
Stalagmites, like tree rings, record climate data.
The findings were validated with stalagmites from Postojna Cave in Slovenia.

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Story summary

A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows stalagmite shapes follow a mathematical rule.
Physicist Piotr Szymczak of the University of Warsaw led the study, linking the Damköhler number to stalagmite shape via drip rate.
Fast-flowing water yields pointed shapes, while slower dripping forms thicker columns.
Stalagmites, like tree rings, record climate data.
The findings were validated with stalagmites from Postojna Cave in Slovenia.