Where is saltpeter found?
Saltpeter is found in 41 caves scattered through the areas where caves are found in Tennessee, mainly on the Highland Rim and the Cumberland Plateau. When and how was it deposited? It is formed in warm climates by bacterial action during the decomposition of excreta and vegetable matter. In Tennessee it is generally formed in caves from bat droppings, called guano. The contact between the rotting material and limestone allows ‘nitrification’ – that is the conversion of nitrogen compounds from animal and plant decay into nitrates which penetrate the soil. Dissolved in rainwater, the deposits evaporate on the surface to form a white powder, which is a crude saltpeter. (paraphrased from “SALT…
