Earth Sciences Commons^™

Did Seismic Events Trigger The Growth Of Aragonitic Speleothems In Mawmluh Cave, North-East India?, Dildi Dildi, Dana Riechelmann Dr., Michael Weber Dr., Anne Jantschke Dr., Regina Mertz-Kraus Dr., Denis Scholz Dr.

International Journal of Speleology

Mawmluh Cave, north-east India, is located in a seismically very active region within the Himalayas with frequent earthquakes of varying magnitude. So far, speleothems from the cave have mainly been used to reconstruct past monsoon variability. The potential effect of seismic events on speleothem formation in Mawmluh Cave, however, has not been studied in detail yet. We investigated three stalagmites from Mawmluh Cave, each predominantly consisting of calcite overlain by substantially younger aragonite at the top (i.e., an aragonite ‘cap’). 230Th/U-dating shows that the initiation of aragonite growth occurred between 1859 and 1950 CE in agreement with previous studies. The …

The Fossil Pearls Of The Million-Pearls Flowstone, Fairgrounds Room, Fort Stanton Cave, New Mexico Usa, Victor J. Polyak, Paula P. Provencio, Yemane Asmerom

International Journal of Speleology

‘Fossil’ cave pearls in the Fairgrounds Room of Fort Stanton Cave form two distinct layers in a flowstone sample, FS-14-2. The flowstone in the Fairgrounds Room covers a mud-silt bank and the extinct streambed that extends across the room. Uranium-series dates of two pieces of flowstone from this room, one piece from the higher end of the flowstone (FS-14-1, devoid of pearls), and another piece from the lower end of the flowstone (FS-14-2, rich in pearls), show that the flowstone was deposited during the Last Glacial period (60,000 to 11,000 yr BP).  The two cave-pearl layers in FS-14-2 yielded U-series …

Sedimentary Dynamics In Tubular Sandstone Caves, Porto União, Southern Brazil, Leandro Bianchini, Julio Cesar Paisani

International Journal of Speleology

Clastic sedimentation in sandstone caves remains poorly understood, particularly in systems with tubular morphology. This study investigates sedimentation, reworking, and sediment removal dynamics in the Legru Cave system, southern Brazil, based on the integrated analysis of sedimentary facies, microstructures, and microfeatures, combined with optically stimulated luminescence dating. The results indicate that conduit infilling is dominated by high-density flows, including cohesive debris flows, partially diluted multiphase flows, and flows with intermediate rheological behavior between mud flow and hyperconcentrated flow, in addition to shallow flow alternations. Sediment supply is predominantly allochthonous, related to hillslope-derived material delivered by overland flow and mud flows, …

Wavelet-Based Multiscale Analysis Of Cave Co₂ Concentration In Response To Short-Term High-Intensity Tourism Activities: Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity And Lag Characteristics, Mingda Cao, Wenwen Song, Yan Zhang, Jie Zhang, Zhiqiang Yao

International Journal of Speleology

High-intensity tourism activities can cause a significant increase in cave air CO₂ concentration, thereby affecting the cave micro-environment and secondary carbonate deposition. During the 2023 National Day Golden Week, high-frequency continuous monitoring of cave air CO₂ partial pressure (PCO_2(A)) and visitor numbers was conducted in Dawang Cave, Anhui Province. Wavelet transform and cross-correlation analyses were used to reveal the multi-scale response characteristics of CO₂ concentration to tourism activities. The results show that: (1) PCO_2(A) exhibited clear diurnal variations (higher during the day, lower at night) and decreased spatially with enhanced ventilation, controlled jointly by …

Mapping Seafloor Habitats And Characterizing Demersal Reef Fish Communities On The West Florida Shelf Across Multiple Spatial Scales Using Multibeam Sonar And Underwater Video, Alexander R. Ilich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I examine the role of spatial scale in deriving seafloor terrain attributes, modeling benthic habitat, and analyzing ecological patterns of the demersal reef fish communities on the West Florida Shelf (WFS), with implications for improving predictive habitat mapping and understanding fish-environment relationships. Spatial scale plays a central role in benthic habitat mapping and ecological inference, influencing how terrain attributes are derived, how habitats are modeled, and how ecological responses are manifested. This work integrates multiscale terrain analysis, acoustic remote sensing, and community ecology to evaluate how spatial scale influences both physical habitat representation and ecological analysis.

Chapter …

Morphodynamic Evolution Of Midnight Pass, West-Central Florida, Sydney C. Scott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study takes advantage of a rare opportunity provided by the reopening of Midnight Pass due to two consecutive hurricanes in 2024, to examine the morphologic evolution of a newly reopened inlet and subsequent beach-inlet interactions. Historical aerial photos since the 1940s were collected and analyzed to understand the last closure of Midnight Pass, and to gain knowledge on the future of the newly reopened inlet. Time-series topography and bathymetry survey of the beach-inlet system were conducted bimonthly to quarterly for the first year and a half after the reopening, with the goals of quantifying the morphologic changes and understanding …

Riki&Dolphin: Real Time Data Transmission From The Bottom Of A Cave To A Website, Luca Tringali, Giacomo Canciani Dr., Tecla Tripari, Alexander Debenjak, Caterina Bearzotti

International Journal of Speleology

Coming from over 10 years of experience in cave monitoring in northeast Italy, Gruppo Speleologico Talpe del Carso, has designed Riki and Dolphin: customizable, low cost, and easy to assemble tools for getting real time data transmission from the bottom of a cave, even underwater, to a webserver. Their use has been tested to monitor air temperature inside the Abisso Bonetti Cave (Classical Karst, Italy), proving for the first time that a cave in Gorizian Karst can systematically be colder than the outdoor temperature even in winter, recording an internal temperature even lower than 0°C. The Dolphin device can be …

Drainage Proximity And Sinkhole Occurrence In Sivrihisar (Central Turkey): A Comparative Analysis Of Linear, Poisson, And Negative Binomial Regression Models, Bilge Bingül, Emrah Pekkan, Resul Çömert

International Journal of Speleology

This study investigates the relationship between sinkhole occurrence and distance to drainage in the Sivrihisar region (Central Turkey) and evaluates the suitability of different regression approaches for modeling clustered count data in karst terrains. A comprehensive inventory of 104 sinkholes developed within the Neogene lacustrine limestones of the Akpınar Formation was compiled using official records, remote sensing analyses, and detailed field surveys. Sinkhole occurrences were analyzed relative to a drainage network derived from a high-resolution Digital Surface Model and grouped by proximity to drainage lines. Linear Regression (LM), Poisson Regression (PR), and Negative Binomial Regression (NBR) models were comparatively applied …

Theory And Applications Of Natural And Nature-Based Solutions In Estuarine Environments, Elizabeth L. Royer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the theory and application of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), through three unique case studies. This study explores how the broad and interdisciplinary NbS framework can be applied to mitigate common coastal hazards. This framework considers the environment, economics, and social wellbeing, equally in the design and implementation of a solution. The current paradigm, working against nature, which is commonly seen in more passive approaches to hazard mitigation, like grey infrastructure (e.g. a seawall to protect a shoreline against wave action) does not accommodate the extremely dynamic environment. As perspectives shift to “working with nature” NbS can be …

How Do Water Utilities Meet Growing Demand And Maintain Resilience Through Water Reuse? A Systems Thinking Approach, Elizabeth F. Vicario

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water and wastewater utility management is becoming increasingly complex due to factors like urbanization, climate change, new regulations, and rising costs. Utility leaders must balance competing political and financial pressures while managing aging infrastructure, rising demand, climate resilience planning, and customer concerns about affordability. Reuse of treated wastewater has emerged as a promising solution to address scarcity, declining source water quality, and new regulations on wastewater discharge in the United States. However, water reuse is not one-size-fits-all, and bespoke solutions are needed to optimize economic, environmental, and social returns from this finite resource. Despite growing interest, little is known about …

Response Of Botovskaya Cave To Local And Regional Environmental Dynamics, Jade Margerum, Oksana Gutareva, Franziska Lechleitner, Maria Box, Stuart Umbo, Anton Vaks, Hanno Meyer, Aleksandr Kononov, Aleksander Osintsev, Dimitri Sokol'nikov, Norbert Marwan, Ola Kwiecien, Sebastian Breitenbach

International Journal of Speleology

Speleothems from caves in near-permafrost regions can provide unique insights into the climatic history of temperature-sensitive environments. These regions are often remote and only seasonally accessible, which makes cave monitoring – a requirement for speleothem-based proxy interpretation – challenging. We document ventilation, the infiltration regime, and the isotopic composition of dripwater in Botovskaya Cave in southern Siberia, a host to speleothems previously used to reconstruct Quaternary permafrost dynamics in continental Eurasia. We explore surface and cave temperature records, cave air CO₂ concentration data and stable isotopes in precipitation and dripwater and evaluate infiltration conditions and the sensitivity of speleothems …

Ice Temperature And Heat Transfer Processes In Cave Glaciers, Aurel Persoiu

International Journal of Speleology

Cave glaciers (i.e., perennial ice accumulations in caves), found throughout mountainous regions in Europe and North America are at risk of extinction due to rising air temperature and altered rainfall patterns. Their formation and subsequent preservation is the result of accumulation of ice during winter months and limited ablation in summer. These processes, in turn, are controlled by air temperature, which determines the overall mass balance of ice. One important aspect is the heat the ice mass loses in winter, which increases its resilience during summer. While ice caves’ climate has been intensively studied in the past, investigations of ice …

Geochemistry Of Crusts In Palaeontological Deposits, Taphonomic Settings In An Upper Pleistocene Cave Site (San Teodoro, Sicily), Gerlando Vita, Luca Sineo, Francesco Armetta, Maria Luisa Saladino

International Journal of Speleology

The mineralogical and geochemical composition of cave sediments provides crucial insights into past climatic and biological dynamics. This study investigates the authigenic crusts of San Teodoro Cave (Sicily), a key Upper Pleistocene palaeontological site, through a multi-analytical approach.The cave hosts two superimposed phosphatic crusts, separated by sterile sediment, reflecting shifts in depositional and post-depositional conditions. Our analyses reveal a complex mineral assemblage consisting of calcite, aragonite, and various phosphate phases. Calcite is the dominant phase in the older crust, whereas the presence of aragonite in the younger brown crust likely indicates periods of increased aridity, potentially corresponding to conditions during …

Monitoring Strategies In Cave Microclimate Studies, Nenad Buzjak, Dalibor Paar, Aurel Persoiu, Christos Pennos, Franci Gabrovšek, Valerija Rossi

International Journal of Speleology

Cave atmospheres are spatially confined but dynamical systems that influence subterranean ecosystems, geomorphological processes, registration and preservation of climatic signals in sedimentary archives, cultural heritage, and conservation management. Despite major advances in cave climatology, methodological approaches to microclimate monitoring remain fragmented and are in some cases still shaped by the long-standing assumption that cave air temperature simply reflects the mean annual surface temperature. This paper revisits that assumption and develops an experience- and literature-based methodological framework for cave microclimate research. Key terminology is addressed by distinguishing between cave climate, cave microclimate, and cave meteorology, and by situating microclimatic variability within …

Exceptional Variety Of Baryte-Celestine-Series Speleothems In Lechuguilla Cave (New Mexico, Usa), Max Wisshak, Johannes Birkenstock, Andrea Schröder-Ritzrau, Norbert Frank, Hazel A. Barton, Harvey R. Duchene

International Journal of Speleology

An inventory of speleothems primarily composed of the closely related sulfate minerals baryte (BaSO₄) and celestine (SrSO₄) in Lechuguilla Cave (New Mexico, USA) has revealed an extraordinary variety. This includes subaerial stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, coralloids, wall crusts, floor crystals, snow, frostwork, and subaqueous pool crystals. Large baryte and celestine crystals have also been documented in hydrothermal veins in the host rock, predating the cave and truncated when intersected by it. The respective carbonate mineral phases witherite (BaCO₃) and strontianite (SrCO₃), in contrast, were found to be rare in the studied speleothem samples, …

Pitfalls Of Multiplied 3d Landforms Projection: Mapping Deep Multilevel Cave Systems In The Alps (Gamssteig Cave System, Göll Massif), Mateusz Golicz, Jacek Szczygieł

International Journal of Speleology

Cave mapping represents one of the most complex challenges in geomorphological cartography, as it must convey the true three-dimensional geometry of subterranean spaces such as overlapping passages, irregular cross-sections, and variable ceiling and floor morphologies, within a two-dimensional framework. This study examines the methodological and interpretive challenges of cave mapping, utilizing the Gamssteighöhle cave in the Austrian Alps as a case study. During the 11 years of exploration, over 10 km of passages were surveyed using the DistoX vector survey method. Yet, the complex morphological forms necessitated deviations from the standard symbology recommended by the International Union of Speleology. Several …

Assessing The Impact Of Visitors On Airborne Particle Deposition In The Giant Gypsum Geode Of Pulpí (Se Spain), Ana Camila Mendoza, Ángel Fernández-Cortés, Fernando Gázquez, Jesús Morilla, Milagros Carretero, Jose Maria Calaforra, David Benavente

International Journal of Speleology

The Giant Geode of Pulpí is a unique mineralogical phenomenon worldwide, remarkable for its large selenite gypsum crystals. Its recent development as a tourist site and inclusion on UNESCO’s Tentative World Heritage List, highlight the need to assess the impact of visits on its conservation. This study investigates airborne particle dynamics inside the Geode, focusing on tourist activity and natural ventilation. We measured deposition rates and composition of airborne particles using passive traps and a continuous laser-optical particle counter. Microenvironmental variables linked to ventilation, such as temperature and radon gas concentration (²²²Rn), were simultaneously monitored. Results show a predominance of …

Bridging Functions And Values: Advancing Wetland Ecosystem Service Assessment Through Use Of A Service Capacity Index, William J. Kleindl, Sarah P. Church, Kai C. Rains, Mark C. Rains, Eric D. Stein, Morgan K. Suddreth

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Wetland service or values are often assumed to occur at a comparable level to wetland function (i.e., higher functioning wetlands provide more services). However, services are seldom directly evaluated because of the lack of structured assessment approaches. For wetland ecosystem service to be effectively incorporated in regulatory and monitoring programs, there needs to be parsimonious assessment tools that can be applied systematically, repeatably, and rapidly. This approach begins by disentangling existing terminology and clearly defining all the terms necessary to support the assessment of ecosystem services (ES). We provide context to illustrate how these terms have been variously employed in …

No Groundwater, No Fish: The Critical Role Of Groundwater In Supporting Non-Glacial, Salmon-Bearing Rivers In South-Central Alaska, Tyelyn Brigino, Kai Rains, Edgar Guerron-Orejuela, Jacob Argueta, Syverine Bentz, Coowe Walker, Mark Rains

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Groundwater discharge plays an important role in the hydrologic and ecologic functioning of rivers including sustaining streamflow and related habitat year-round. Simultaneously, groundwater supports the increasing demands of people as the global population continues to grow. Balancing the needs of users becomes increasingly important as climate change introduces greater uncertainty in water resources and fisheries, especially for economically important anadromous species that depend on freshwater resources. We investigated the seasonal and regional variability of groundwater contributions to six non-glacial mainstem salmon-bearing rivers in south-central Alaska. We hypothesized that groundwater contributes more than half of the annual streamflow, and nearly all …

Non-Destructive Characterization Of Variously Colored Gypsum And Aragonite/Calcite Speleothems From The Cigalère Cave (Ariège, France), Martin Vlieghe, Johan Wouters, Gérald Fanuel, Jean-François Drion Du Chapois, Anne Gallez, Stéphane Pire-Stevenne, Gaëtan Rochez, Johan Yans

International Journal of Speleology

The Cigalère Cave is a 21 km-long karstic cave located in the Ariège Department, in the French Pyrenees, and underlies directly the Bentaillou Pb-Zn-Fe sulfide ores. The cave hosts abundant gypsum mineralizations, some of them exhibiting various colorations including blue, yellow, purple, orange and black. Due to strict preservation policies, these colored mineralizations have not been studied much. Here we propose a non-destructive characterization of five distinct gypsum or carbonate speleothem structures from the Cigalère, exhibiting different colorations. To comply with the preservation policies, no sample was taken from the cave, and all speleothems were analyzed in situ using portable …

Hydrothermal Vents In Sulfuric Acid Speleogenesis Karst: Isolated Feeders With Pristine Hypogenic Water Or Interconnected Conduits With Rapid Flow And Recycled Water?, Jakub Mareš, Marek Audy, Serban M. Sarbu, Jan Kukačka, Romeo Eftimi, Jiří Bruthans

International Journal of Speleology

Underwater connectivity and flow paths in the saturated zone of hypogenic sulfuric acid speleogenesis (SAS) karst remain unclear, despite sustained research over the past 30 years. Being regarded as sources of pristine H₂S-charged water, narrow inflow conduits called "feeders" are typically considered primary sources of water and hotspots of speleogenesis. In southeastern Albania, there is a newly discovered active SAS karst system comprising numerous caves and springs. Tracer tests were conducted to investigate the connection of these caves to the surrounding springs and to characterize the flow paths. The results show that water flows from cave lakes to …

A Cave In Miocene Conglomerate: The Törökpince-Abaliget Cave System, Hungary, Krisztina Sebe, Piroska Pazonyi, Márton Bauer, Bálint Szappanos, Márton Szabó, Zoltán Szentesi, Mihály Gasparik, Ákos Juhász, Luca Pandolfi, Máté Gregorits, József Haász, Ágnes Novothny, Zsófia Ruszkiczay-Rüdiger

International Journal of Speleology

Conglomerate caves are rare, and only a few have been described in the scientific literature. Here, we present a newly discovered and significant cave system in SW Hungary, comprising over 500 m of upper passages and a shorter, lower section of a through-cave developed in Lower–Middle Miocene conglomerates. The formation of these cave passages was controlled chiefly by bedding and fractures. Dissolution has produced typical karstification morphologies, whereas corrasion, granular disintegration, and rock collapse have also played a role in shaping the cave. The cave is dominated by vadose-zone morphologies, but sediment infills indicating upward water flow, along with ceiling …

Measurements Of Water-Film Thickness On Cave Walls And Speleothems, Alexandre Honiat, Salaheddine Skali-Lami, François Bourges, Bruno Lartiges

International Journal of Speleology

The water-film that coats cave walls and speleothems is a key player for the regulation of cave microclimate and the control of speleothem growth. In this paper, we demonstrate the capability of a confocal optical sensor to quantitatively measure on-site the rapid variations of water-film thickness when dripping, active condensation, or dryness occur on walls of various caves. Results obtained from a sample of four prehistoric caves and one stalagmite cave from Southwest France, indicate that the measurable thickness of water-films is generally in the 25-70 µm range for cave walls and reaches 200-300 µm on the horizontal plane of …

The Relationship Between Lineaments And Cave Passages In Unfaulted Gently-Folded Strata, Snail Shell Cave, Central Tennessee, Usa, Mark Abolins, Joseph Firkaly-Paciera, Blake King, Cris Ocasio-Valentin, Jackson Slighter, Teagan Sullivan, Justin Whited

International Journal of Speleology

Near Snail Shell Cave in central Tennessee, USA, seven image interpreters independently mapped lineaments using a 3DEP LiDAR DTM, revealing geomorphic and structural differences in and near different parts of the cave. MANOVA comparison of lineament and cave passage trend for Western, Central, and Eastern Snail Shell caves reveals statistically significant differences (p <0.05). The Western cave (mean depth 44 m) is in the gently-dipping limb of the Snail Shell anticline, and the Central cave (mean depth 31 m) is in the anticline hinge. In contrast, many Eastern cave passages (mean depth 40 m) cut across the anticline hinge and part of the limb of the Overall syncline. For both the Western and Central caves, a post-hoc Tukey’s HSD test fails to show that lineament trend within 235 m of the cave differs significantly from passage trend, and the test fails to show that the two differ significantly within 235 and 433 m of the Eastern cave. Additional statistical testing fails to show a difference between Western passage trend and bed strike, indicating the likelihood that lineaments and passages developed within strike-joints. However, testing shows a statistically significant difference between passage trend and bed strike for the Central and Eastern caves. The strike of joints inside the Eastern cave shows that it is within a joint zone which penetrates to depths of at least 80 m and is expressed at the surface as an ~4.2 km-long belt of elevated lineament line density. The lack of a statistically significant difference between Eastern passage trend and the trend of a nearby topographic escarpment suggests that many joints are stress release fractures formed during relatively recent erosion. For the Eastern cave, intersections between lineaments and structures would be attractive targets for groundwater exploration at depths typical of wells in carbonates.

A Bioarchaeological Study Of The Individuals From The Városfalva Burial Mound In Transylvania, Romania (15th-19th Century), Vanessa C. Reeves

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the lives and deaths of the Szekler people recovered from a burial mound in the Transylvanian village of Városfalva. The Transylvanian plateau is located in present day Romania, and is protected on the east and the south by the Carpathian Mountains. The Szekler people arrived in this area around 1000 CE, and were a nomadic group originating in the Asian Steppes region who later intermarried with various migratory groups as they moved across the Eurasian plains. The Szeklers eventually banded together with the proto-Hungarian Magyar peoples and settled in the Carpathian Basin, the easternmost frontier of the …

New Evidence Of Mid-Pleistocene Glaciations In The French Jura Mountains Using Debris Flow Deposits And U/Th Dating Of Speleothems (Verneau Karst Network), Margot Vivier, Stéphane Jaillet, Eglantine Husson, Edwige Pons Branchu, Jean-Baptiste Charlier

International Journal of Speleology

We redefine the extent of former glaciers in the northern Jura Mountains through the study of endokarst deposits. Sedimentary deposits (pebbly debris flows, laminated clays, and allochthonous limestone blocks) and chemical deposits (speleothems) were identified and studied using three complementary approaches: (i) detailed geomorphological mapping, (ii) petrographic analysis, and (iii) U/Th-dating. In addition, a surface geomorphological analysis made it possible to calculate the minimum erosion time required for the formation of the sinkhole linked to the underground study site. The study site is the Dolois Chamber, an underground site upstream of the Verneau karst network (Doubs Department, France). The combined …

Spatio-Temporal Characterization Of Trace Metals Across The West Florida Shelf And During The Decline Of The North Atlantic Spring Bloom, Delfina Paola Navarro-Estrada

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phytoplankton in the marine environment require the trace metals manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) to catalyze cellular processes driving photosynthesis, including macronutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon) acquisition, light harvesting, and protection from oxidative stress. The high biological demand for these elements, coupled with their low concentrations in the ocean, can limit primary production and shape community composition in marine ecosystems, highlighting the need to understand the drivers behind trace metal distributions and their interplay with phytoplankton growth across biogeochemical regimes. This dissertation characterizes the spatial and temporal distributions of dissolved …

Protocol For Assessing And Managing Radon Gas Exposure Risks In Caves: A Case Study Of Altamira And Paleolithic Cave Art Of Northern Spain World Heritage Site, Sergio Sanchez-Moral, Javier Lario, Soledad Cuezva, Juan Carlos Cañaveras, Tamara Martín-Pozas, Angel Fernández-Cortés

International Journal of Speleology

Exposure to radon and its progeny poses a significant health risk for workers in tourist caves. Implementing protective measures is challenging due to increasingly strict gas concentration and dose limits in new regulations. This study evaluates the annual effective radiation doses received by workers and researchers, considering seasonal and spatial radon variability. Radon levels, temperature, and ventilation patterns were continuously monitored for at least one year in each cave. Results show significant radon fluctuations influenced by seasonal ventilation regimes driven by thermal gradients between the cave and external atmosphere. Using International Commission on Radiological Protection guidelines, the study calculates the …

Pre-Calibration Of Δ18O For Paleoclimatic Interpretations Using Stalagmites In Cueva Ensueño, Puerto Rico, Gabriel Enrique López Borobia, Ny Riavo G. Voarintsoa, Ricardo Sánchez-Murillo, Pablo Antonio Llerandi Román

International Journal of Speleology

Stalagmites are invaluable archivers of past climate conditions, as their oxygen isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O_c) closely mirrors the isotopic signature of the drip water (δ¹⁸O_w) from which they precipitate. This isotopic relationship is governed by the fractionation factor (1000ln¹⁸α), which is temperature dependent. In this research, we studied 1000ln¹⁸α within Cueva Ensueño, a cave situated in Puerto Rico’s northern karst region, as a step toward calibrating δ¹⁸O_c for paleoclimate interpretations using stalagmites. We collected drip waters, measured their temperature in situ, and sampled carbonates from ten selected stations within the cave. Sampling was conducted in December …

What Controls Ice Shelf Isotopic Variability? Local And Global Processes Preserved Within Ice Cores Across The Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica, Orion Laurene Schomber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Antarctic Peninsula (AP) is one of the foremost indicators of anthropogenic global warming as it interacts with both atmospheric and oceanic processes. Although ice shelves across the AP have undergone increased rates of disintegration over the last 30 years, limited in-situ measurements have been investigated. Assessment of three short (~30 m) firn cores (J108, J208, and J409) across the Larsen C ice shelf (LCIS) provide insight into local, regional, and global processes. Average core densities and isotopic variability (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) fall within expected ranges for all cores, indicating signal preservation through firn. However, isotopic maxima in J108 and …