This paper reports the activities developed by SEE's members and students of the speleology course realized by DEGEO/EM/UFOP during the last two years at Gruta do Salitre (MG 361, SBE 1991), Cordisburgo/MG. The activities included a partial mapping of the cave, observation of speleothems and inferences on the cave genesis. The methodology used was that described by Cavalcanti (1996) in which a topographical survey is made by using a magnetic needle fixed by a tripod. Tape measurements, drawing boards, candles, gradation rulers and machine pencils were also used. At most interesting places, observations and photographs were taken. A partial topographic map of the cave was produced. The cave developed in a stratified, folded and fractured carbonatic rock from Lagoa do Jacaré Formation. The cave shape is typically linear meanderly with a profile predominantly horizontal and secondarily inclined. The cave evolved through four phases from phreatic to vadose processes, with chamber development by breakdown. The last chambers are the most ornamented ones (vadose phase) and show many speleothems which highlight the eccentrics (helictites) because of its beauty, the blisters because of its rare occurrence and the dogtooth calcite spar by its genesis.
Spaeleology; Speleothems; Salitre Cave
