Pub Date : 2021-12-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806x.51.1.2404
Y. del Rosal, J. Muñoz-Fernández, P. Celis-Plá, M. Hernández‐Mariné, F. Álvarez‐Gómez, Salvador Merino, F. Figueroa
The characterization of the most common photosynthetic biofilms in the Nerja Cave by the continuous monitoring of the in vivo chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence and the incorporation of the irradiance as a new environmental variable related to previous studies in the cave, have allowed us to improve our knowledge about the photosynthetic pattern of the biofilms of the cave. Effective quantum yield (ΔF/Fm) and relative electron transport rate (rETR) were determined during periods of the light, whereas the maximal quantum yield (Fv /Fm) was determined during dark periods. Increases in the photosynthetic yields and productivity in summer period were found related to the highest values of the environmental variables, such as relative humidity, air carbon dioxide concentration and air temperature. According to the irradiance, the studied biofilms had an optimal growth with cave lighting, considered low in comparison with similar studies, perhaps because they can grow mixotrophically too. Moreover, when the irradiance increased, both the ΔF/Fm′ and the rETR decreased in springtime, suggesting photoinhibition of the photosynthetic yield in the biofilms within the cave, whereas in the summertime, the photosynthetic yield had a positive correlation with the irradiance, suggesting a decreased of the photoinhibition, possibly due to the increase of the environmental variables values which provokes an alleviate on the extent of photoinhibition.
{"title":"Monitoring photosynthetic activity using in vivo chlorophyll a fluorescence in microalgae and cyanobacteria biofilms in the Nerja Cave (Malaga, Spain)","authors":"Y. del Rosal, J. Muñoz-Fernández, P. Celis-Plá, M. Hernández‐Mariné, F. Álvarez‐Gómez, Salvador Merino, F. Figueroa","doi":"10.5038/1827-806x.51.1.2404","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.51.1.2404","url":null,"abstract":"The characterization of the most common photosynthetic biofilms in the Nerja Cave by the continuous monitoring of the in vivo chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence and the incorporation of the irradiance as a new environmental variable related to previous studies in the cave, have allowed us to improve our knowledge about the photosynthetic pattern of the biofilms of the cave. Effective quantum yield (ΔF/Fm) and relative electron transport rate (rETR) were determined during periods of the light, whereas the maximal quantum yield (Fv /Fm) was determined during dark periods. Increases in the photosynthetic yields and productivity in summer period were found related to the highest values of the environmental variables, such as relative humidity, air carbon dioxide concentration and air temperature. According to the irradiance, the studied biofilms had an optimal growth with cave lighting, considered low in comparison with similar studies, perhaps because they can grow mixotrophically too. Moreover, when the irradiance increased, both the ΔF/Fm′ and the rETR decreased in springtime, suggesting photoinhibition of the photosynthetic yield in the biofilms within the cave, whereas in the summertime, the photosynthetic yield had a positive correlation with the irradiance, suggesting a decreased of the photoinhibition, possibly due to the increase of the environmental variables values which provokes an alleviate on the extent of photoinhibition.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47380344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-11-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806x.51.1.2397
P. Bella, P. Bosák, P. Pruner, H. Hercman, K. Pukanská, K. Bartoš, Ľ. Gaál, Dagmar Haviarová, Peter Tomčík, Šimon Kdýr
The Ochtiná Aragonite Cave (Western Carpathians) represents an unique natural phenomenon. It originated under particular lithological and hydrogeological conditions of the Ochtiná Karst in which several isolated lenses of Paleozoic crystalline limestone (marbles), partly metasomatically altered to ankerite, are enclosed by phyllites. Meteoric water seepage through non-carbonate rocks dissolved limestone and caused the oxidation of ankerite to Fe oxyhydroxides. Carbon dioxide produced during ankerite oxidation enhanced limestone dissolution. The maze cave consists of parallel fault-controlled linear passages and chambers interconnected by transverse horizontal passages. Phreatic and epiphreatic solution morphologies resulted from slowly moving or standing water. These include flat ceilings (Laugdecken), facets (planes of repose, Facetten), lateral notches, convection ceiling cupola-shaped depressions, and spongework-like hollows. Flat ceilings were developed in several altitude positions, each of them probably closely below the slightly oscillated water table. Primary phreatic cupola-shaped depressions, truncated by flat ceilings, represent relics of the oldest cavities (pre-Quaternary? to Early Pleistocene). Inward-sloping smooth facets were not developed only in passages with flat ceilings, but also in the passages and halls with a vaulted ceiling. The asymmetrical shape of cusped depressions above the facets were documented in detail by a high-resolution cave topography with terrestrial laser scanning and digital photogrammetry. Middle–Late Pleistocene accumulation phases, identified by magnetostratigraphy of cave sediments and U-series dating of speleothems, are associated with phreatic and later epiphreatic development. The deposition on the bottom bedrock began before 1.8 Ma. The Brunhes/Matuyama boundary (0.773 Ma) and Jaramillo magnetozone (0.990–1.071 Ma) were recorded in the profile in the Oválna chodba Passage. Slow depositional rate (~0.09 cm/kyr) calculated from magnetostratigraphy resulted from slow water movement in confined conditions in marbles completely enclosed by phyllites and no direct relation to the surface. Only occasionally turbid water was loaded in extremely fine-grained infiltration material and autochthonous Fe oxyhydroxides. The depositional rate in Mn-rich layer was much slower (~0.03 cm/kyr). Additional U-series dating confirmed that old aragonite generations (with ages about 500–450 ka and 143–121 ka) were partly corroded by repeated floods during Late Pleistocene humid episodes. Aragonite younger than 13.5 ka is not corroded.
{"title":"Speleogenesis in a lens of metamorphosed limestone and ankerite: Ochtiná Aragonite Cave, Slovakia","authors":"P. Bella, P. Bosák, P. Pruner, H. Hercman, K. Pukanská, K. Bartoš, Ľ. Gaál, Dagmar Haviarová, Peter Tomčík, Šimon Kdýr","doi":"10.5038/1827-806x.51.1.2397","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.51.1.2397","url":null,"abstract":"The Ochtiná Aragonite Cave (Western Carpathians) represents an unique natural phenomenon. It originated under particular lithological and hydrogeological conditions of the Ochtiná Karst in which several isolated lenses of Paleozoic crystalline limestone (marbles), partly metasomatically altered to ankerite, are enclosed by phyllites. Meteoric water seepage through non-carbonate rocks dissolved limestone and caused the oxidation of ankerite to Fe oxyhydroxides. Carbon dioxide produced during ankerite oxidation enhanced limestone dissolution. The maze cave consists of parallel fault-controlled linear passages and chambers interconnected by transverse horizontal passages. Phreatic and epiphreatic solution morphologies resulted from slowly moving or standing water. These include flat ceilings (Laugdecken), facets (planes of repose, Facetten), lateral notches, convection ceiling cupola-shaped depressions, and spongework-like hollows. Flat ceilings were developed in several altitude positions, each of them probably closely below the slightly oscillated water table. Primary phreatic cupola-shaped depressions, truncated by flat ceilings, represent relics of the oldest cavities (pre-Quaternary? to Early Pleistocene). Inward-sloping smooth facets were not developed only in passages with flat ceilings, but also in the passages and halls with a vaulted ceiling. The asymmetrical shape of cusped depressions above the facets were documented in detail by a high-resolution cave topography with terrestrial laser scanning and digital photogrammetry. Middle–Late Pleistocene accumulation phases, identified by magnetostratigraphy of cave sediments and U-series dating of speleothems, are associated with phreatic and later epiphreatic development. The deposition on the bottom bedrock began before 1.8 Ma. The Brunhes/Matuyama boundary (0.773 Ma) and Jaramillo magnetozone (0.990–1.071 Ma) were recorded in the profile in the Oválna chodba Passage. Slow depositional rate (~0.09 cm/kyr) calculated from magnetostratigraphy resulted from slow water movement in confined conditions in marbles completely enclosed by phyllites and no direct relation to the surface. Only occasionally turbid water was loaded in extremely fine-grained infiltration material and autochthonous Fe oxyhydroxides. The depositional rate in Mn-rich layer was much slower (~0.03 cm/kyr). Additional U-series dating confirmed that old aragonite generations (with ages about 500–450 ka and 143–121 ka) were partly corroded by repeated floods during Late Pleistocene humid episodes. Aragonite younger than 13.5 ka is not corroded.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44579423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-11-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806x.51.1.2406
Claire L.V. MacGregor, J. Hellstrom, J. Woodhead, R. Drysdale, R. Eberhard
Speleothems are increasingly valued as important paleoclimate archives and yet the removal of samples from caves can come at a cost to natural heritage, impacting delicate environments with limited mechanisms for repair. Conservation of cave environments is a key responsibility for scientists and, with this in mind, we are working to develop and implement techniques that allow us to extract valuable scientific data, with minimal impact. In this study, we demonstrate the utility of low-impact reconnaissance dating surveys on caves in southern Tasmania and southwest Western Australia as a precursor to the removal of stalagmites for paleoclimate reconstruction. Small flakes of calcite were discretely extracted from the base and tip of fallen stalagmites and dated using U-Th techniques. We specifically targeted stalagmites that have naturally fallen or been previously broken by human interference, to further reduce our impact on the caves. This approach provides maximum and minimum age constraints for each stalagmite and valuable information of growth frequencies without the need to remove whole samples from the cave. Selecting the most appropriate samples to analyze based on reconnaissance ages greatly reduces the quantity of speleothem material to be removed from a cave to locate a desired interval of past time, mitigating the impacts of the research. Moreover, the reconnaissance age data enable us to build an archive of speleothem ages from the cave for future scientific research and to provide information on the age and nature of cave development, useful for cave management purposes and other studies. To assess the accuracy of this method we compared the reconnaissance age with the results of a detailed age evaluation on a small number of stalagmites removed from the caves. We have found this method to be effective and has allowed us to successfully identify several stalagmites suitable for our scientific objectives.
{"title":"Low impact sampling of speleothems – reconciling scientific study with cave conservation","authors":"Claire L.V. MacGregor, J. Hellstrom, J. Woodhead, R. Drysdale, R. Eberhard","doi":"10.5038/1827-806x.51.1.2406","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.51.1.2406","url":null,"abstract":"Speleothems are increasingly valued as important paleoclimate archives and yet the removal of samples from caves can come at a cost to natural heritage, impacting delicate environments with limited mechanisms for repair. Conservation of cave environments is a key responsibility for scientists and, with this in mind, we are working to develop and implement techniques that allow us to extract valuable scientific data, with minimal impact. In this study, we demonstrate the utility of low-impact reconnaissance dating surveys on caves in southern Tasmania and southwest Western Australia as a precursor to the removal of stalagmites for paleoclimate reconstruction. Small flakes of calcite were discretely extracted from the base and tip of fallen stalagmites and dated using U-Th techniques. We specifically targeted stalagmites that have naturally fallen or been previously broken by human interference, to further reduce our impact on the caves. This approach provides maximum and minimum age constraints for each stalagmite and valuable information of growth frequencies without the need to remove whole samples from the cave. Selecting the most appropriate samples to analyze based on reconnaissance ages greatly reduces the quantity of speleothem material to be removed from a cave to locate a desired interval of past time, mitigating the impacts of the research. Moreover, the reconnaissance age data enable us to build an archive of speleothem ages from the cave for future scientific research and to provide information on the age and nature of cave development, useful for cave management purposes and other studies. To assess the accuracy of this method we compared the reconnaissance age with the results of a detailed age evaluation on a small number of stalagmites removed from the caves. We have found this method to be effective and has allowed us to successfully identify several stalagmites suitable for our scientific objectives.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46346944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2389
Celia Campa-Bousoño, Ángel García-Pérez, A. Moreno, Miguel Iglesias, Hai Cheng, R. Edwards, H. Stoll
Because they can archive a variety of geochemical proxies and be precisely and accurately dated with the U-Th decay series chronometer, stalagmites are widely used for paleoclimate reconstructions. However, limitations in the use of this chronometer arise because U-Th dating is analytically time consuming, expensive, and requires a relatively large sample size. These limitations restrict the number of absolute dates usually obtained, which can result in significant uncertainties in the age model and inhibit the ability to archive high resolution records of environmental variability, particularly in those stalagmites where there are variations in growth rate not constrained by U-Th dates. Here, we explore the relationship between stalagmite color and growth rate. Consequently, we evaluate the use of a simple, practically non-destructive approach to model the age-depth relationship of stalagmites using the sample color to provide a continuous record of growth rate. The method was developed by comparing high-resolution color images with pre-determined U-Th dates along the growth axes of seven stalagmites. The obtained results suggest that prior to dating, a color-derived, continuous growth rate model may be used to identify important changes in growth rate which may aid in the determination of the most efficacious locations for U-Th dating. Further, continuous color-derived interpolations between U-Th derived dates may be superior to traditional linear interpolation methods. Such an approach has the potential to greatly improve a researcher’s ability to efficiently choose sampling locations for more precise, albeit laborious and costly, U-Th dating.
{"title":"Continuous color model as a tool to improve speleothem age model development","authors":"Celia Campa-Bousoño, Ángel García-Pérez, A. Moreno, Miguel Iglesias, Hai Cheng, R. Edwards, H. Stoll","doi":"10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2389","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2389","url":null,"abstract":"Because they can archive a variety of geochemical proxies and be precisely and accurately dated with the U-Th decay series chronometer, stalagmites are widely used for paleoclimate reconstructions. However, limitations in the use of this chronometer arise because U-Th dating is analytically time consuming, expensive, and requires a relatively large sample size. These limitations restrict the number of absolute dates usually obtained, which can result in significant uncertainties in the age model and inhibit the ability to archive high resolution records of environmental variability, particularly in those stalagmites where there are variations in growth rate not constrained by U-Th dates. Here, we explore the relationship between stalagmite color and growth rate. Consequently, we evaluate the use of a simple, practically non-destructive approach to model the age-depth relationship of stalagmites using the sample color to provide a continuous record of growth rate. The method was developed by comparing high-resolution color images with pre-determined U-Th dates along the growth axes of seven stalagmites. The obtained results suggest that prior to dating, a color-derived, continuous growth rate model may be used to identify important changes in growth rate which may aid in the determination of the most efficacious locations for U-Th dating. Further, continuous color-derived interpolations between U-Th derived dates may be superior to traditional linear interpolation methods. Such an approach has the potential to greatly improve a researcher’s ability to efficiently choose sampling locations for more precise, albeit laborious and costly, U-Th dating.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49253148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-09-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2398
Gerlando Vita, V. Garilli, M. Vizzini, R. Giarrusso, A. Mulone, Massimiliana Pinto Vraca, V. La Parola, P. Rosina, L. Bonfiglio, L. Sìneo
Interpreting depositional settings of cave sites is generally problematic, especially in absence of palaeontological/archaeological evidence. This is the case of some deposits at San Teodoro Cave (Sicily), a key site for the Mediterranean Palaeolithic. In a stratigraphic level interrupted by a carbonatic concretion, phosphatic nodules are present only in the part enclosed between the concretion and the cave wall. The discovery of these nodules combined with the punctual lack of fossils had initially suggested an erosion phenomenon and subsequent formation of nodules at a vadose level. Here we show the usefulness of an integrated, geochemical-palaeoecological approach in defining stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. XRD, ICP-OES, ATR-FTIR and EDS analyses allowed the formulation of a new hypothesis regarding the origin of the nodules, the depositional dynamics, and the role played by the guano produced by an extensive colony of bats. The role of barium and rubidium in detecting taphonomical processes has been highlighted.
{"title":"Geochemistry of phosphatic nodules as a tool for understanding depositional and taphonomical settings in a Palaeolithic cave site (San Teodoro, Sicily)","authors":"Gerlando Vita, V. Garilli, M. Vizzini, R. Giarrusso, A. Mulone, Massimiliana Pinto Vraca, V. La Parola, P. Rosina, L. Bonfiglio, L. Sìneo","doi":"10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2398","url":null,"abstract":"Interpreting depositional settings of cave sites is generally problematic, especially in absence of palaeontological/archaeological evidence. This is the case of some deposits at San Teodoro Cave (Sicily), a key site for the Mediterranean Palaeolithic. In a stratigraphic level interrupted by a carbonatic concretion, phosphatic nodules are present only in the part enclosed between the concretion and the cave wall. The discovery of these nodules combined with the punctual lack of fossils had initially suggested an erosion phenomenon and subsequent formation of nodules at a vadose level. Here we show the usefulness of an integrated, geochemical-palaeoecological approach in defining stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. XRD, ICP-OES, ATR-FTIR and EDS analyses allowed the formulation of a new hypothesis regarding the origin of the nodules, the depositional dynamics, and the role played by the guano produced by an extensive colony of bats. The role of barium and rubidium in detecting taphonomical processes has been highlighted.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41366847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-09-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2378
I. Marin, I. Turbanov
Based on the morpho-genetic study of stygobiotic shrimps from the genus Xiphocaridinella Sadowsky, 1930 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae), a hydrogeological connection of a number of distant caves in Central Abkhazia of the southwestern Caucasus is satisfied, which indicates the possibility of using biospeleological studies in some cases to identify karst hydrosystems together with traditional hydrogeological methods. Moreover, a new stygobiotic atyid shrimp from the genus Xiphocaridinella, X. kelasuri sp. n., is described based on morphology and analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I DNA sequences from three distant caves. The new species is genetically divergent from relatives and phylogenetically related to Xiphocaridinella smirnovi Marin, 2020, described from the Besletka (=Tskaro) Cave. Recently, the number of described speciesof the genus Xiphocaridinella from Caucasus has increased to 13 species, while the diversity of Xiphocaridinella found in the Besletka (=Tskaro) Cave is increasing to 3 species, which is higher than in any other known cave where Troglocaris-like shrimps have been discovered.
{"title":"Molecular genetic analysis of stygobiotic shrimps of the genus Xiphocaridinella (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae) reveals a connection between distant caves in Central Abkhazia, southwestern Caucasus","authors":"I. Marin, I. Turbanov","doi":"10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2378","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2378","url":null,"abstract":"Based on the morpho-genetic study of stygobiotic shrimps from the genus Xiphocaridinella Sadowsky, 1930 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae), a hydrogeological connection of a number of distant caves in Central Abkhazia of the southwestern Caucasus is satisfied, which indicates the possibility of using biospeleological studies in some cases to identify karst hydrosystems together with traditional hydrogeological methods. Moreover, a new stygobiotic atyid shrimp from the genus Xiphocaridinella, X. kelasuri sp. n., is described based on morphology and analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I DNA sequences from three distant caves. The new species is genetically divergent from relatives and phylogenetically related to Xiphocaridinella smirnovi Marin, 2020, described from the Besletka (=Tskaro) Cave. Recently, the number of described speciesof the genus Xiphocaridinella from Caucasus has increased to 13 species, while the diversity of Xiphocaridinella found in the Besletka (=Tskaro) Cave is increasing to 3 species, which is higher than in any other known cave where Troglocaris-like shrimps have been discovered.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43265465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-09-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2393
Annika Gomell, Daniel Austin, M. Ohms, A. Pflitsch
In barometric caves, air pressure gradients between the outside atmosphere and the cave induce strong bidirectional compensating currents, which control almost all elements of speleoclimatology, including air temperature, humidity, and CO2 dynamics. Therefore, this study set out to investigate air pressure propagation through Wind Cave and Jewel Cave – two major barometric cave systems in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. Based on high-resolution air pressure data from both the surface and several measurement sites inside the caves, four systematic changes of pressure waves during their journey through the caves and their related speleoclimatological processes were identified and discussed: Compared to the outside atmosphere, the pressure signals within Wind Cave and Jewel Cave showed (1) an absolute displacement due to different altitudes of the measuring sites, (2) a delay related to the travel times of the pressure wave to the measuring sites, (3) a smoothing effect, and (4) a damping effect due to long response times of the caves to external pressure changes. The spatial distribution of the changes observed in this study shows that for Wind Cave, the cave opening and the narrow entrance area represent the main obstacle for pressure propagation, while for Jewel Cave, the deep areas have the greatest influence on the development of air pressure gradients. Our analyses provide completely new insights into the processes and mechanisms inside barometric caves, which will significantly contribute to the understanding of pressure-related airflow dynamics and all related elements of speleoclimatology.
{"title":"Air pressure propagation through Wind Cave and Jewel Cave: How do pressure waves travel through barometric caves?","authors":"Annika Gomell, Daniel Austin, M. Ohms, A. Pflitsch","doi":"10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2393","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2393","url":null,"abstract":"In barometric caves, air pressure gradients between the outside atmosphere and the cave induce strong bidirectional compensating currents, which control almost all elements of speleoclimatology, including air temperature, humidity, and CO2 dynamics. Therefore, this study set out to investigate air pressure propagation through Wind Cave and Jewel Cave – two major barometric cave systems in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. Based on high-resolution air pressure data from both the surface and several measurement sites inside the caves, four systematic changes of pressure waves during their journey through the caves and their related speleoclimatological processes were identified and discussed: Compared to the outside atmosphere, the pressure signals within Wind Cave and Jewel Cave showed (1) an absolute displacement due to different altitudes of the measuring sites, (2) a delay related to the travel times of the pressure wave to the measuring sites, (3) a smoothing effect, and (4) a damping effect due to long response times of the caves to external pressure changes. The spatial distribution of the changes observed in this study shows that for Wind Cave, the cave opening and the narrow entrance area represent the main obstacle for pressure propagation, while for Jewel Cave, the deep areas have the greatest influence on the development of air pressure gradients. Our analyses provide completely new insights into the processes and mechanisms inside barometric caves, which will significantly contribute to the understanding of pressure-related airflow dynamics and all related elements of speleoclimatology.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41757027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-08-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2391
D. McFarlane, J. Lundberg
Some recent publications on the paleo- and historical environmental interpretation of bat guano sequences have relied on 210Pb and 137Cs distribution to establish age-depth models, even when these are at odds with radiocarbon models in the lower parts of the sequence. Here, we present both field and laboratory evidence for the unpredictable mobility of lead and cesium in decomposing bat guano deposits. We suggest that 210Pb- and 137Cs-based chronologies of bat guano deposits should only be used when independently supported, for example, by a robust radiocarbon age-depth model.
{"title":"Geochronological implications of 210Pb and 137Cs mobility in cave guano deposits","authors":"D. McFarlane, J. Lundberg","doi":"10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2391","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.50.3.2391","url":null,"abstract":"Some recent publications on the paleo- and historical environmental interpretation of bat guano sequences have relied on 210Pb and 137Cs distribution to establish age-depth models, even when these are at odds with radiocarbon models in the lower parts of the sequence. Here, we present both field and laboratory evidence for the unpredictable mobility of lead and cesium in decomposing bat guano deposits. We suggest that 210Pb- and 137Cs-based chronologies of bat guano deposits should only be used when independently supported, for example, by a robust radiocarbon age-depth model.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47510459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-07-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.50.3.2350
M. F. Souza, Denizar Alvarenga, Marconi Souza-Silva, R. Ferreira
In the last decade, the scientific community brought to the debate gaps that slow down the advance of knowledge regarding global biodiversity. More recently, this discussion has reached subterranean environments, where these gaps are even more dramatic due to the relict and vulnerable nature of their species. In this context, we tested ecological metrics related to some of these gaps, checking if the biological relevance of the caves would change depending on ecological attributes related to each metric. The study was carried out in caves from southeastern Brazil, located in a region presenting a high richness of troglobitic species restricted to a narrow geographical extent. Thus, we verified: (a) the cave invertebrate communities’ vulnerability with the Vulnerability Index and the Importance Value for Cave Conservation; (b) the distribution and endemicity of the troglobitic species with the Endemicity Index; (c) the phylogenetic diversity of the troglobitic species considering the average taxonomic distinction (∆+), their richness and evenness. We observed a considerable change in the ordering of the caves’ biological relevance according to each tested attribute (index). We discussed how each of these metrics and their attributes indirectly relate to: (a) the preservation and maintenance of the phylogenetic diversity of subterranean communities; (b) the spatial restrictions of different groups, where the greater their restrictions, the greater their vulnerability; (c) the preservation of caves with high biological relevance considering these different attributes together. Thus, we recommend the use of different metrics so that different ecological attributes can be considered, supporting actions that aim to preserve caves in highly altered regions. Finally, we find that the most biologically important cave in the region is not protected (Gruta da Morena cave). We warn that this cave needs to be contemplated by a conservation unit in the region urgently.
在过去的十年里，科学界带来了争论的空白，这些空白减缓了全球生物多样性知识的进步。最近，这一讨论已经涉及到地下环境，由于其物种的遗存和脆弱的性质，这些差距更加引人注目。在这种情况下，我们测试了与这些缺口相关的生态指标，检查洞穴的生物相关性是否会根据与每个指标相关的生态属性而变化。这项研究是在巴西东南部的洞穴中进行的，该洞穴位于一个地理范围狭窄的地区，具有高度丰富的穴居物种。因此，我们利用脆弱性指数和洞穴保护重要值验证了洞穴无脊椎动物群落的脆弱性;(b)用特有指数说明穴居物种的分布和特有性;(c)考虑平均分类差异(∆+)、丰富度和均匀度的穴居物种系统发育多样性。我们观察到，根据每个被测试的属性(指数)，洞穴的生物学相关性排序有很大的变化。我们讨论了这些指标及其属性如何间接地与:(a)地下群落系统发育多样性的保存和维持;(b)不同群体的空间限制，其限制越大，其脆弱性越大;(c)综合考虑这些不同的属性，保存具有高度生物关联性的洞穴。因此，我们建议使用不同的度量标准，以便考虑不同的生态属性，支持旨在保护高度变化地区洞穴的行动。最后，我们发现该地区最重要的生物洞穴(Gruta da Morena洞穴)没有得到保护。我们警告说，这个洞穴需要由该地区的保护单位紧急考虑。
{"title":"Do different relevance attributes indicate the same conservation priorities? A case study in caves of southeastern Brazil","authors":"M. F. Souza, Denizar Alvarenga, Marconi Souza-Silva, R. Ferreira","doi":"10.5038/1827-806X.50.3.2350","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.50.3.2350","url":null,"abstract":"In the last decade, the scientific community brought to the debate gaps that slow down the advance of knowledge regarding global biodiversity. More recently, this discussion has reached subterranean environments, where these gaps are even more dramatic due to the relict and vulnerable nature of their species. In this context, we tested ecological metrics related to some of these gaps, checking if the biological relevance of the caves would change depending on ecological attributes related to each metric. The study was carried out in caves from southeastern Brazil, located in a region presenting a high richness of troglobitic species restricted to a narrow geographical extent. Thus, we verified: (a) the cave invertebrate communities’ vulnerability with the Vulnerability Index and the Importance Value for Cave Conservation; (b) the distribution and endemicity of the troglobitic species with the Endemicity Index; (c) the phylogenetic diversity of the troglobitic species considering the average taxonomic distinction (∆+), their richness and evenness. We observed a considerable change in the ordering of the caves’ biological relevance according to each tested attribute (index). We discussed how each of these metrics and their attributes indirectly relate to: (a) the preservation and maintenance of the phylogenetic diversity of subterranean communities; (b) the spatial restrictions of different groups, where the greater their restrictions, the greater their vulnerability; (c) the preservation of caves with high biological relevance considering these different attributes together. Thus, we recommend the use of different metrics so that different ecological attributes can be considered, supporting actions that aim to preserve caves in highly altered regions. Finally, we find that the most biologically important cave in the region is not protected (Gruta da Morena cave). We warn that this cave needs to be contemplated by a conservation unit in the region urgently.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42102948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Density-driven chimney effect airflow is the most common form of cave ventilation, allowing gas exchange between the outside and the karst subsurface. However, cave ventilation can also be driven by other mechanisms, namely winds. We discuss the mechanism and dynamics of wind-driven ventilation using observations in Postojna Cave, Slovenia. We show how seasonal airflow patterns driven by the chimney effect are substantially modified by outside winds. Wind flow over irregular topography forms near-surface air pressure variations and thus pressure differences between cave entrances at different locations. These pressure differences depend on wind speed and direction and their relationship to surface topography and the location of cave entrances. Winds can act in the same or opposite direction as the chimney effect and can either enhance, diminish or even reverse the direction of the density-driven airflows. To examine the possibility of wind-driven flow, we used a computational fluid dynamics model to calculate the wind pressure field over Postojna Cave and the pressure differences between selected points for different configurations of wind speed and direction. We compared these values with those obtained from airflow measurements in the cave and from simple theoretical considerations. Despite the simplicity of the approach and the complexity of the cave system, the comparisons showed satisfactory agreement. This allowed a more general assessment of the relative importance of wind pressure for the subsurface ventilation. We are certain that this example is not unique and that the wind-driven effect needs to be considered elsewhere to provide better insights into the dynamics of cave climate, air composition or dripwater geochemistry.
{"title":"The relative importance of wind-driven and chimney effect cave ventilation: Observations in Postojna Cave (Slovenia)","authors":"Lovel Kukuljan, F. Gabrovšek, M. Covington","doi":"10.31223/x5r622","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5r622","url":null,"abstract":"Density-driven chimney effect airflow is the most common form of cave ventilation, allowing gas exchange between the outside and the karst subsurface. However, cave ventilation can also be driven by other mechanisms, namely winds. We discuss the mechanism and dynamics of wind-driven ventilation using observations in Postojna Cave, Slovenia. We show how seasonal airflow patterns driven by the chimney effect are substantially modified by outside winds. Wind flow over irregular topography forms near-surface air pressure variations and thus pressure differences between cave entrances at different locations. These pressure differences depend on wind speed and direction and their relationship to surface topography and the location of cave entrances. Winds can act in the same or opposite direction as the chimney effect and can either enhance, diminish or even reverse the direction of the density-driven airflows. To examine the possibility of wind-driven flow, we used a computational fluid dynamics model to calculate the wind pressure field over Postojna Cave and the pressure differences between selected points for different configurations of wind speed and direction. We compared these values with those obtained from airflow measurements in the cave and from simple theoretical considerations. Despite the simplicity of the approach and the complexity of the cave system, the comparisons showed satisfactory agreement. This allowed a more general assessment of the relative importance of wind pressure for the subsurface ventilation. We are certain that this example is not unique and that the wind-driven effect needs to be considered elsewhere to provide better insights into the dynamics of cave climate, air composition or dripwater geochemistry.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47719045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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