Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Geology (213)
- Speleology (128)
- Geomorphology (97)
- Geochemistry (62)
- Hydrology (54)
-
- Environmental Sciences (31)
- Other Earth Sciences (25)
- Life Sciences (23)
- Environmental Monitoring (21)
- Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (17)
- Biogeochemistry (14)
- Sedimentology (14)
- Tectonics and Structure (11)
- Climate (10)
- Mineral Physics (10)
- Paleontology (10)
- Microbiology (8)
- Natural Resources and Conservation (8)
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (7)
- Geophysics and Seismology (7)
- Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology (6)
- Soil Science (6)
- Volcanology (6)
- Animal Sciences (5)
- Arts and Humanities (5)
- Biodiversity (5)
- Meteorology (5)
- Zoology (5)
- Keyword
-
- Karst (38)
- Speleogenesis (28)
- Caves (27)
- Speleothems (24)
- Cave (22)
-
- Speleothem (17)
- Cave minerals (14)
- Stable isotopes (10)
- Gypsum (9)
- Stalagmite (9)
- Cave monitoring (8)
- Geomorphology (8)
- Hydrogeology (8)
- Palaeoclimate (8)
- Vulcanospeleology (8)
- Lava tubes (7)
- Mallorca (7)
- Bacteria (6)
- Bat guano (6)
- Carbon dioxide (6)
- Guano (6)
- History (6)
- Kenya (6)
- Sulfuric acid speleogenesis (6)
- Volcanic caves (6)
- Austria (5)
- Cave microclimate (5)
- Coastal karst (5)
- Hypogene (5)
- Hypogenic speleogenesis (5)
- Publication Year
Articles 361 - 390 of 890
Full-Text Articles in Earth Sciences
Sails: A New Gypsum Speleothem From Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico, Tullio Bernabei, Paolo Forti, Roberto Villasuso
Sails: A New Gypsum Speleothem From Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico, Tullio Bernabei, Paolo Forti, Roberto Villasuso
International Journal of Speleology
The caves of Naica (Chihuahua, Mexico) are perhaps the most famous mine caves of the world due to the presence of gigantic gypsum crystals. Nevertheless, very little research has been carried out on this karst area until now. A multidisciplinary investigation started in 2006 with the aim not only to define the genesis and the age of the Naica gypsum crystals, but also on other scientific aspects of these caves. This paper describes a completely new type of gypsum speleothem: the “sails”, observed only inside the Cueva de las Velas, one of the caves of the Naica system. This speleothem …
Bomb-Spike Dating Of A Mummified Baboon In Ludwig Cave, Namibia, Greg Hodgins, George A. Brook, Eugene Marais
Bomb-Spike Dating Of A Mummified Baboon In Ludwig Cave, Namibia, Greg Hodgins, George A. Brook, Eugene Marais
International Journal of Speleology
In 1982 a mummified adult female baboon was discovered on a ledge in Ludwig Cave in Namibia. A toe bone was removed for dating in July 1995. AMS radiocarbon dating of bone collagen, tendon, and skin indicates a post-modern age. Application of the atomic bomb-spike calibration curve suggests death in late 1977 and an age at death of around 19 years. Baboons roost in the cave and the mummified female, along with a mummified juvenile male discovered in 2002 and three rotting corpses discovered in 1995, were probably chased by other baboons or by leopards down a ca. 6 m …
Climatic Differences And Similarities Between Indian And East Asian Monsoon Regions Of China Over The Last Millennium: A Perspective Based Mainly On Stalagmite Records, Ming Tan
International Journal of Speleology
Cave sediments, especially stalagmites, have been providing absolute dated climate records that can extend from the present to over 500,000 years ago. Based on the reconstructed temperature time series, a comprehensive overview of the climatic differences and similarities between the Indian and the East Asian Monsoon regions of China over the last millennium is presented. Evidence from accurately dated and high-resolution records including stalagmites, ice cores and tree rings show that there was a “Medieval Warm Period” (around 1000 to 1400 AD) in north and east China where climate is dominated by the East Asian monsoon; whilst no such interval …
The Impact Of Host Rock Geochemistry On Bacterial Community Structure In Oligotrophic Cave Environments, Hazel A. Barton, Nicholas M. Taylor, Michael P. Kreate, Austin C. Springer, Stuart A. Oehrle, Janet L. Bertog
The Impact Of Host Rock Geochemistry On Bacterial Community Structure In Oligotrophic Cave Environments, Hazel A. Barton, Nicholas M. Taylor, Michael P. Kreate, Austin C. Springer, Stuart A. Oehrle, Janet L. Bertog
International Journal of Speleology
Despite extremely starved conditions, caves contain surprisingly diverse microbial communities. Our research is geared toward understanding what ecosystems drivers are responsible for this high diversity. To asses the effect of rock fabric and mineralogy, we carried out a comparative geomicrobiology study within Carlsbad Cavern, New Mexico, USA. Samples were collected from two different geologic locations within the cave: WF1 in the Massive Member of the Capitan Formation and sF88 in the calcareous siltstones of the Yates Formation. We examined the organic content at each location using liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy and analyzed microbial community structure using molecular phylogenetic analyses. In …
Eogenetic Karst, Glacioeustatic Cave Pools And Anchialine Environments On Mallorca Island: A Discussion Of Coastal Speleogenesis, Angel Ginés, Joaquín Ginés
Eogenetic Karst, Glacioeustatic Cave Pools And Anchialine Environments On Mallorca Island: A Discussion Of Coastal Speleogenesis, Angel Ginés, Joaquín Ginés
International Journal of Speleology
Coastal karst is characterized by special geomorphologic and hydrodynamic conditions as well as by peculiar sedimentary, geochemical, and biospeleological environments. Generally, the more distinctive karstic features produced near the coastline are strongly influenced by sea-level changes, which generate a broad set of interactions between littoral processes and karst development. The glacioeustatic rises and falls of sea level affected the littoral karst in different ways, namely: vertical and horizontal shifts in the shoreline position, changes in elevation of the local water table, and vertical displacements of the halocline. Most eogenetic karsts have been subjected over long time spans to repeated changes …
A Taxonomic Survey Of Lamp Flora (Algae And Cyanobacteria) In Electrically Lit Passages Within Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, Thomas Smith, Rick Olson
A Taxonomic Survey Of Lamp Flora (Algae And Cyanobacteria) In Electrically Lit Passages Within Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, Thomas Smith, Rick Olson
International Journal of Speleology
A taxonomic survey of the lamp flora from electrically lit passages in Mammoth Cave, Mammoth Cave National Park, identified 28 species. Overall, cyanobacteria were dominant represented by 14 species (50% of the total), green algae had eight species (29%), and six diatoms species (21%) were present. There was not a correlation between species diversity and temperature, but there is a general trend of increasing diversity with warmer temperatures. There were two algal or cyanobacterial species identified in this study that overlapped with previous studies. There is a lack of continuity between previous studies only having one species identified in more …
Petrographic And Geochemical Study On Cave Pearls From Kanaan Cave (Lebanon), Fadi H. Nader
Petrographic And Geochemical Study On Cave Pearls From Kanaan Cave (Lebanon), Fadi H. Nader
International Journal of Speleology
The Kanaan cave is situated at the coastal zone, north of Beirut City (capital of Lebanon). The cave is located within the upper part of the Jurassic Kesrouane Formation (Liassic to Oxfordian) which consists mainly of micritic limestone. Twenty seven cave pearls were subjected to petrographic (conventional and scanning electron microscopy) and geochemical analyses (major/trace elements and stable isotopes). The cave pearls were found in an agitated splash-pool with low mud content. They are believed to have formed through chemical precipitation of calcite in water over-saturated with calcium. The nucleus and micritic laminae show δ18OV-PDB values of …
Seasonal Variations Of Co2 And 222Rn In A Mediterranean Sinkhole - Spring (Causse D’Aumelas, Se France), Christelle Batiot-Guilhe, Jean-Luc Seidel, Hervé Jourde, Olivier Hébrard, Vincent Bailly-Comte
Seasonal Variations Of Co2 And 222Rn In A Mediterranean Sinkhole - Spring (Causse D’Aumelas, Se France), Christelle Batiot-Guilhe, Jean-Luc Seidel, Hervé Jourde, Olivier Hébrard, Vincent Bailly-Comte
International Journal of Speleology
Carbon dioxide and 222Rn monitoring of the atmosphere of a Mediterranean sink hole - spring (SE France) during two hydrological cycles (from September 2004 to September 2006) showed seasonal variations with very high concentrations during summer (greater than 6% and 20 000 Bq/m3, respectively). Gas dynamics in caves often show seasonal variations. Meteorological parameters (barometric pressure and temperature mainly), cave geometry and fracture networks control exchanges between the cavity and outside atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and 222Rn may have different sources (atmosphere, soil, bedrock, deep gas diffusion, in situ oxidation of organic matter and, in some caves, …
Speleothems As Indicators Of Wet And Dry Periods, Ian John Fairchild, Emily Anne Mcmillan
Speleothems As Indicators Of Wet And Dry Periods, Ian John Fairchild, Emily Anne Mcmillan
International Journal of Speleology
Calcareous speleothems provide a record of dripwater composition which in turn is a function of climatic conditions. The historical focus of speleothem palaeoclimate studies has been on the derivation of palaeotemperatures through oxygen isotope studies. However, it is now realized that water availability is a more generally important control on their characteristics. Growth rate and growth morphology in principle should give rise to recognizable changes at low flow. However, accidental plumbing effects during aquifer evolution, can also lead to variations in water supply and it is not easy to distinguish these effects. In areas where there is a strong amount …
Acadian Biospeleology: Composition And Ecology Of Cave Fauna Of Nova Scotia And Southern New Brunswick, Canada, Max Moseley
Acadian Biospeleology: Composition And Ecology Of Cave Fauna Of Nova Scotia And Southern New Brunswick, Canada, Max Moseley
International Journal of Speleology
The vertebrate and invertebrate fauna, environment and habitats of caves and disused mines in Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick are provisionally catalogued and described, based on field collections made over many years. The area was glaciated and the subterranean fauna consists of non-troglobites all of which have arrived and colonised the caves during or following final recession of the Pleistocene glaciers. The statistical composition of the fauna at the higher taxonomic level is similar to that in Ontario, but is less species rich and there are some notable ecological and other differences. Porcupine dung accumulations are an important habitat …
The Polygenetic Caves Of Cuatro Ciénegas (Coahuila, Mexico): Morphology And Speleogenesis, Leonardo Piccini, Paolo Forti, Italo Giulivo, Marco Mecchia
The Polygenetic Caves Of Cuatro Ciénegas (Coahuila, Mexico): Morphology And Speleogenesis, Leonardo Piccini, Paolo Forti, Italo Giulivo, Marco Mecchia
International Journal of Speleology
The Cuatro Ciénegas area is renown worldwide for its thermal springs, which feed a unique ecosystem consisting of many pools, lakes and marshes. The pools also represent a very important water resource in a region characterized by scarce rainfalls. Field investigation has emphasized the role of karst in the hydrogeology of the area. Only few and restricted forms of surface karst are represented; caves are mainly relics of old speleogenetic phases of thermal and bathyphreatic water flow.
Vashegyite From Gaura Cu Muscă Cave (Locvei Mountains, Romania): A New And Rare Phosphate Occurrence, Bogdan P. Onac, Luminiţa Zaharia, Joe Kearns, Daniel Veres
Vashegyite From Gaura Cu Muscă Cave (Locvei Mountains, Romania): A New And Rare Phosphate Occurrence, Bogdan P. Onac, Luminiţa Zaharia, Joe Kearns, Daniel Veres
International Journal of Speleology
This study investigated the occurrence of vashegyite from a guano-rich deposit located in the Gaura cu Muscă Cave, Romania. Analytical methods used include optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron-microscopy (SEM), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), thermal investigations and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses. Vashegyite occurs as friable, chalky white, irregular nodules of up to 2.5 cm in diameter, within a 15 cm thick sequence of organic and minerogenic sediments. The chemical structural formula is: (Al10.91Fe3+0.06Na0.1Ca0.02Mg0.08)Σ=11.17[(PO4)8.78(SiO4)0.056]Σ=8.83(OH) …
Studies Of Condensation/Evaporation Processes In The Glowworm Cave, New Zealand, C. R. De Freitas, A. Schmekal
Studies Of Condensation/Evaporation Processes In The Glowworm Cave, New Zealand, C. R. De Freitas, A. Schmekal
International Journal of Speleology
The condensation/evaporation process is important in caves, especially in tourist caves where there is carbon dioxide enriched air caused by visitors. The cycle of condensation and evaporation of condensate is believed to enhance condensation corrosion. The problem is condensation is difficult to measure. This study addresses the problem and reports on a method for measuring and modelling condensation rates in a limestone cave. Electronic sensors for measuring condensation and evaporation of the condensate as part of a single continuous process of water vapour flux are tested and used to collect 12 months of data. The study site is the Glowworm …
Salt Ingestion Caves, Charles A. Lundquist, William W. Varnedoe Jr.
Salt Ingestion Caves, Charles A. Lundquist, William W. Varnedoe Jr.
International Journal of Speleology
Large vertebrate herbivores, when they find a salt-bearing layer of rock, say in a cliff face, can produce sizable voids where, over generations, they have removed and consumed salty rock. The cavities formed by this natural animal process constitute a unique class of caves that can be called salt ingestion caves. Several examples of such caves are described in various publications. An example in Mississippi U.S.A., Rock House Cave, was visited by the authors in 2000. It seems to have been formed by deer or bison. Perhaps the most spectacular example is Kitum Cave in Kenya. This cave has been …
Identification Of Cave Minerals By Raman Spectroscopy: New Technology For Non-Destructive Analysis, William B. White
Identification Of Cave Minerals By Raman Spectroscopy: New Technology For Non-Destructive Analysis, William B. White
International Journal of Speleology
The identification of minerals from caves generally requires that samples be removed from the cave for analysis in the laboratory. The usual tools are X-ray powder diffraction, the optical microscope, and the scanning electron microscope. X-ray diffraction gives a definitive fingerprint by which the mineral can be identified by comparison with a catalog of reference patterns. However, samples must be ground to powder and unstable hydrated minerals may decompose before analysis is complete. Raman spectroscopy also provides a fingerprint useful for mineral identification but with the additional advantage that some a-priori interpretation of the spectra is possible (distinguishing carbonates from …
Thermal Variations In The Hyporheic Zone Of A Karst Stream, Toby Dogwiler, Carol Wicks
Thermal Variations In The Hyporheic Zone Of A Karst Stream, Toby Dogwiler, Carol Wicks
International Journal of Speleology
This investigation quantifies how temperatures in the streambed sediments of a karst stream fluctuate in relation to discharge, seasonal, and diurnal temperature variations as the stream passes through a karst window. Furthermore, the linkages between meteorological processes and temperature variation in the hyporheic zone are delineated. Examination of a high-resolution, three dimensional record of temperature variation in a karst stream substrate provides insight into thermal disturbances in the hyporheic zone. Temperatures in the upper portion of the hyporheic zone are strongly linked to air temperatures via the surface water. The variation is considerably less as depth increases. The annual temperature …
Caves And Speleogenesis At Blomstrandsøya, Kongsfjord, W. Spitsbergen, Stein-Erik Lauritzen
Caves And Speleogenesis At Blomstrandsøya, Kongsfjord, W. Spitsbergen, Stein-Erik Lauritzen
International Journal of Speleology
Blomstrandsøya, at Kongsfjord (78° 57’N), Spitsbergen, is within the high arctic, a completely permafrozen zone. The bedrock consists of Paleozoic marbles and has yielded a surprising amount of karst features. Early phases of hydrothermal, possibly Caledonian, speleogenesis and subsequent Devonian karstification with redbed deposits is well documented. 62 active seacaves, and more than 30 relict karst caves were found in the coastal cliffs and in escarpment faces around the island. All caves have very limited extent; they are either quite short, like most of the active sea caves, or they are soon choked by frozen sediments and ground ice after …
The Distribution Of Diatom Flora In Ice Caves Of The Northern Yukon Territory, Canada: Relationship To Air Circulation And Freezing, Bernard Lauriol, Clément Prévost, Denis Lacelle
The Distribution Of Diatom Flora In Ice Caves Of The Northern Yukon Territory, Canada: Relationship To Air Circulation And Freezing, Bernard Lauriol, Clément Prévost, Denis Lacelle
International Journal of Speleology
In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, various media in karst environments in the Northern Yukon Territory were examined for their diatom content. Cryogenic cave calcite powders, grus and various ice formations (ice plugs, ice stalagmites and floor ice) were collected from three freezing caves and one slope cave to make an inventory of the diatom content, and to explain the spatial distribution of the diatoms within the caves. The results show that approximately 20% of diatoms in the caves originate from external biotopes and habitats (e.g., river, lake, stream), with the remaining 80% of local origin (i.e., from subaerial …
Unconfined Versus Confined Speleogenetic Settings: Variations Of Solution Porosity, Alexander Klimchouk
Unconfined Versus Confined Speleogenetic Settings: Variations Of Solution Porosity, Alexander Klimchouk
International Journal of Speleology
Speleogenesis in confined settings generates cave morphologies that differ much from those formed in unconfined settings. Caves developed in unconfined settings are characterised by broadly dendritic patterns of channels due to highly competing development. In contrast, caves originated under confined conditions tend to form two- or three-dimensional mazes with densely packed conduits. This paper illustrates variations of solution (channel) porosity resulted from speleogenesis in unconfined and confined settings by the analysis of morphometric parameters of typical cave patterns. Two samples of typical cave systems formed in the respective settings are compared. The sample that represents unconfined speleogenesis consists of solely …
Tracer-Test Design For Losing Stream–Aquifer Systems, Malcolm S. Field
Tracer-Test Design For Losing Stream–Aquifer Systems, Malcolm S. Field
International Journal of Speleology
Hydrological tracer testing is an effective way for assessing the significance and extent of leakage through the bed of an influent (losing and sinking) stream. In karstic terranes, leakage from losing and sinking streams typically resurge at downstream springs, but flow may be intercepted by production wells. Although sinking streams that disappear into swallow holes and caves are relatively easy to trace, developing a tracer test design for a losing stream that allows slow percolation through its bed is complicated by the lack of basic knowledge regarding leakage rate, leakage locations along its length, and temporal variability. To overcome these …
Radon In Caves: Clinical Aspects, Stephen A. Craven, Berend J. Smit
Radon In Caves: Clinical Aspects, Stephen A. Craven, Berend J. Smit
International Journal of Speleology
Historical, experimental and clinical evidence is presented to suggest that radon constitutes a relatively small carcinogenic risk for casual visitors to caves. The risk is dependent on radon levels and the smoking of tobacco. Show cave guides, chronically exposed to radon, may be at increased risk for lung cancer due to the effects of radon, especially if they are smokers of tobacco.
Relationships Between Deflector Faults, Collapse Dolines And Collector Channel Formation: Some Examples From Slovenia, France Šušteršič
Relationships Between Deflector Faults, Collapse Dolines And Collector Channel Formation: Some Examples From Slovenia, France Šušteršič
International Journal of Speleology
In some Slovenian caves collector channels gather sinking underground streams and redirect them for potentially long distances parallel to certain faults. The collector channels formed due to ongoing long-term collapse of cave roofs at the points where passages break through the faults, which function as a kind of screen and are termed deflector faults. The fault trends are marked by collapse within the caves, and by active collapse dolines at the surface.
Conceptualisation Of Speleogenesis In Multi-Storey Artesian Systems: A Model Of Transverse Speleogenesis, Alexander Klimchouk
Conceptualisation Of Speleogenesis In Multi-Storey Artesian Systems: A Model Of Transverse Speleogenesis, Alexander Klimchouk
International Journal of Speleology
Conceptual and respective quantitative models of speleogenesis/karstification developed for unconfined aquifers do not adequately represent speleogenesis in confined settings. A conceptual model for speleogenesis in confined settings is suggested, based on views about hydraulic continuity in artesian basins and close cross-formation communication between aquifers in multi-storey artesian systems. Soluble units sandwiched between insoluble porous/fissured formations (common aquifers) initially serve as low permeability beds separating aquifers in a confined system. Conduits evolve as result of vertical hydraulic communication between aquifers across the soluble bed ("transverse speleogenesis"). Recharge from the adjacent aquifer is dispersed and uniform, and flow paths across the soluble …
Cross-Formational Flow, Diffluence And Transfluence Observed In St. Beatus Cave And Sieben Hengste (Switzerland), Philipp Häuselmann
Cross-Formational Flow, Diffluence And Transfluence Observed In St. Beatus Cave And Sieben Hengste (Switzerland), Philipp Häuselmann
International Journal of Speleology
Observations in St. Beatus Cave and neighbouring caves revealed complex water flowpaths that can be used for explaining the behaviour of tracing experiments. The observations prove that even in vadose conditions, cross-formational flow, diffluences and transfluences are a quite common feature. Therefore, also the vadose karst has a very complex organisation.
Radon In Caves, Arrigo A. Cigna
Radon In Caves, Arrigo A. Cigna
International Journal of Speleology
The physical characteristics of radon are reported as well as its sources,the transport in rock and its behaviour in caves. Then, the instruments,both active and passive, used for the measurement of radon concentration are discussed by taking into account their respective advantages and disadvantages for the use in the cave environment. Since in many countries radon is the object of regulations that were adopted for radiation protection purposes, this aspect is examined and the recommendations issued by international organisations and enforced in different countries are reported. Materials, methods and other remarks on the limits implementation are also listed with the …
Agraphorura Calvoi N. Sp. From Venezuelan Caves (Collembola: Onychiuridae), Javier I. Arbea
Agraphorura Calvoi N. Sp. From Venezuelan Caves (Collembola: Onychiuridae), Javier I. Arbea
International Journal of Speleology
A new species of Agraphorura (Collembola: Poduromorpha: Onychiuridae) from caves in the Nort-West of Venezuela is described. A. calvoi n. sp. can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: antennal organ III with four papillae, 32/133/33343 dorsal pseudocellar formula, 3/000/0112 ventral pseudocellar, subcoxae each with two pseudocelli, postantennal organ with 7-9 vesicles, unguiculus with a basal lamella, tibiotarsi I-III with 19,19,18 setae (distal whorl of 9 setae). A table with the differential characters, as well as an identifi cation key for all of the known species of Agraphorura are provided.
Cavity-Based Secondary Mineralization In Volcanic Tuffs Of Yucca Mountain, Nevada: A New Type Of The Polymineral Vadose Speleothem, Or A Hydrothermal Deposit?, Yuri V. Dublyansky, Sergey Z. Smirnov
Cavity-Based Secondary Mineralization In Volcanic Tuffs Of Yucca Mountain, Nevada: A New Type Of The Polymineral Vadose Speleothem, Or A Hydrothermal Deposit?, Yuri V. Dublyansky, Sergey Z. Smirnov
International Journal of Speleology
Secondary minerals (calcite, chalcedony, quartz, opal, fl uorite, heulandite, strontianite) residing in open cavities in the Miocene rhyolite tuffs of Yucca Mountain, Nevada have been interpreted by some researchers as "speleothemic" formations, deposited as a result of downward infi ltration of meteoric waters (DOE, 2001, Whelan et al., 2002). The major mineral of the paragenesis, calcite, shows spectacular trend of the textural and crystal morphology change: from anhedral granular occurrences, through (optional) platelet, bladed and scepter varieties, to euhedral blocky morphologies. The trend is consistent with the overall decrease in the supesaturation of the mineral forming solution. Stable isotope properties …
Partitions, Compartments And Portals: Cave Development In Internally Impounded Karst Masses, R. Armstrong L. Osborne
Partitions, Compartments And Portals: Cave Development In Internally Impounded Karst Masses, R. Armstrong L. Osborne
International Journal of Speleology
Dykes and other vertical bodies can act as aquicludes within bodies of karst rock. These partitions separate isolated bodies of soluble rock called compartments. Speleogenetically each compartment will behave as a small impounded-karst until the partition becomes breached. Breaches through partitions, portals, allow water, air and biota including humans to pass between sections of caves that were originally isolated.
The Role Of The Environmental Archaeologist In The Study And Reconstruction Of Cave Palaeoclimate, Maria Gkioni
The Role Of The Environmental Archaeologist In The Study And Reconstruction Of Cave Palaeoclimate, Maria Gkioni
International Journal of Speleology
Man and environment are engaged in a continuous battle to impose themselves on one another. The results are found in environmental modifications or climatic oscillations and, as far as man is concerned, in the different character of cultural remains. Man responds to environmental changes by migrating or evolving technological innovations, both of which leave important remains that the archaeologist is called on to recognise and interpret during and after an excavation. They both also reflect the sociocultural responses to climatic stress. This paper refers to a specific case study, caves, which housed man and his activities from the very early …
Cave Temperatures And Global Climatic Change, Giovanni Badino
Cave Temperatures And Global Climatic Change, Giovanni Badino
International Journal of Speleology
The physical processes that establish the cave temperature are briefly discussed, showing that cave temperature is generally strictly connected with the external climate. The Global Climatic changes can then influence also the underground climate. It is shown that the mountain thermal inertia causes a delay between the two climates and then a thermal unbalance between the cave and the atmosphere. As a consequence there is a net energy flux from the atmosphere to the mountain, larger than the geothermal one, which is deposited mainly in the epidermal parts of caves.