Cave monitoring in the Béke and Baradla caves (Northeastern Hungary): implications for the conditions for the formation cave carbonates
In order to use speleothems in the reconstruction of past climate and environmental changes it is necessary to understand the environmental and hydrological processes that determine the physico-chemical conditions of carbonate precipitation and hence speleothem formation. Therefore, in this study an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of South Florida Libraries
2018-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Speleology |
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| Online Access: | http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/ijs/vol47/iss1/2/ |
| _version_ | 1818613990350127104 |
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| author | György Czuppon Attila Demény Szabolcs Leél-Őssy Mihály Óvari Mihály Molnár József Stieber Klaudia Kiss Krisztina Kármán Gergely Surányi László Haszpra |
| author_facet | György Czuppon Attila Demény Szabolcs Leél-Őssy Mihály Óvari Mihály Molnár József Stieber Klaudia Kiss Krisztina Kármán Gergely Surányi László Haszpra |
| author_sort | György Czuppon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In order to use speleothems in the reconstruction of past climate and environmental changes it is necessary to understand the environmental and hydrological processes that determine the physico-chemical conditions of carbonate precipitation and hence speleothem formation. Therefore, in this study an extended monitoring program was conducted in the Béke and Baradla caves located in the Aggtelek region (Northeastern Hungary). The studied caves are rich in speleothem and flowstone occurrences with great potential for paleoclimatology studies. The monitoring activity included measurements of atmospheric and cave temperatures, CO2 concentration in cave air, as well as chemical and isotopic compositions of water samples (drip water, precipitation) and in situ carbonate precipitates. The hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of drip waters showed no seasonal variation at any of the collection sites, indicating a well-mixed karstic aquifer. This implies that the isotopic compositions of local speleothems were able to record multiannual isotopic changes inherited from stable isotopes in the drip water. CO2 concentration showed seasonality (high values in summer and low values in winter) in both caves, likely affecting carbonate precipitation or corrosion and consequently stalagmite growth. Systematic variations among Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca, Na/Ca, and Si/Ca element ratios were detected in the drip water suggesting Prior Calcite Precipitation (PCP). As PCP is characteristic of periods of reduced infiltration during drier weather conditions, the variations in drip water chemistry and drip rates indicate that the hydrological conditions also varied significantly during the studied period. This hydrological variability appears to affect not only trace element composition but also the isotopic composition of modern carbonate precipitates. In summary, these findings imply that the speleothems from the studied caves were able to record the hydrological changes resulting from alternating wet and dry periods, and therefore the geochemical data can be used to reconstruct past climate and environmental changes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T16:10:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-055032483a4a42dfb6ac80db3416612c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0392-6672 1827-806X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T16:10:54Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | University of South Florida Libraries |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Speleology |
| spelling | doaj.art-055032483a4a42dfb6ac80db3416612c2022-12-21T22:25:14ZengUniversity of South Florida LibrariesInternational Journal of Speleology0392-66721827-806X2018-01-01471132810.5038/1827-806X.47.1.2110Cave monitoring in the Béke and Baradla caves (Northeastern Hungary): implications for the conditions for the formation cave carbonatesGyörgy Czuppon0Attila Demény1Szabolcs Leél-Őssy2Mihály Óvari3Mihály Molnár4József Stieber5Klaudia Kiss6Krisztina Kármán7Gergely Surányi8László Haszpra9Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research, RCAES, Hungarian Academy of SciencesInstitute for Geological and Geochemical Research, RCAES, Hungarian Academy of SciencesEötvös Loránd UniversityCentre for Ecological Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Danube Research InstituteInstitute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of SciencesStieber Environmental Ltd.Eötvös Loránd UniversityInstitute for Geological and Geochemical Research, RCAES, Hungarian Academy of SciencesMTA-ELTE Geological, Geophysical and Space Sciences Research GroupGeodetic and Geophysical Institute, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of SciencesIn order to use speleothems in the reconstruction of past climate and environmental changes it is necessary to understand the environmental and hydrological processes that determine the physico-chemical conditions of carbonate precipitation and hence speleothem formation. Therefore, in this study an extended monitoring program was conducted in the Béke and Baradla caves located in the Aggtelek region (Northeastern Hungary). The studied caves are rich in speleothem and flowstone occurrences with great potential for paleoclimatology studies. The monitoring activity included measurements of atmospheric and cave temperatures, CO2 concentration in cave air, as well as chemical and isotopic compositions of water samples (drip water, precipitation) and in situ carbonate precipitates. The hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of drip waters showed no seasonal variation at any of the collection sites, indicating a well-mixed karstic aquifer. This implies that the isotopic compositions of local speleothems were able to record multiannual isotopic changes inherited from stable isotopes in the drip water. CO2 concentration showed seasonality (high values in summer and low values in winter) in both caves, likely affecting carbonate precipitation or corrosion and consequently stalagmite growth. Systematic variations among Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca, Na/Ca, and Si/Ca element ratios were detected in the drip water suggesting Prior Calcite Precipitation (PCP). As PCP is characteristic of periods of reduced infiltration during drier weather conditions, the variations in drip water chemistry and drip rates indicate that the hydrological conditions also varied significantly during the studied period. This hydrological variability appears to affect not only trace element composition but also the isotopic composition of modern carbonate precipitates. In summary, these findings imply that the speleothems from the studied caves were able to record the hydrological changes resulting from alternating wet and dry periods, and therefore the geochemical data can be used to reconstruct past climate and environmental changes.http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/ijs/vol47/iss1/2/BékeBaradlacave monitoringPCPstable isotopefresh carbonate precipitates |
| spellingShingle | György Czuppon Attila Demény Szabolcs Leél-Őssy Mihály Óvari Mihály Molnár József Stieber Klaudia Kiss Krisztina Kármán Gergely Surányi László Haszpra Cave monitoring in the Béke and Baradla caves (Northeastern Hungary): implications for the conditions for the formation cave carbonates International Journal of Speleology Béke Baradla cave monitoring PCP stable isotope fresh carbonate precipitates |
| title | Cave monitoring in the Béke and Baradla caves (Northeastern Hungary): implications for the conditions for the formation cave carbonates |
| title_full | Cave monitoring in the Béke and Baradla caves (Northeastern Hungary): implications for the conditions for the formation cave carbonates |
| title_fullStr | Cave monitoring in the Béke and Baradla caves (Northeastern Hungary): implications for the conditions for the formation cave carbonates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cave monitoring in the Béke and Baradla caves (Northeastern Hungary): implications for the conditions for the formation cave carbonates |
| title_short | Cave monitoring in the Béke and Baradla caves (Northeastern Hungary): implications for the conditions for the formation cave carbonates |
| title_sort | cave monitoring in the beke and baradla caves northeastern hungary implications for the conditions for the formation cave carbonates |
| topic | Béke Baradla cave monitoring PCP stable isotope fresh carbonate precipitates |
| url | http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/ijs/vol47/iss1/2/ |
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