Guano-related phosphate-rich minerals in European caves
Guano is a typical deposit found in caves derived from the excretions of bats and in minor cases of birds. These organic deposits decompose and form a series of acid fluids and gases that can interact with the minerals, sediments, and rocks present in the cave. Over sixty phosphates are known and de...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of South Florida Libraries
2019-01-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Speleology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/ijs/vol48/iss1/9/ |
| _version_ | 1818409483462770688 |
|---|---|
| author | Philippe Audra Jo De Waele Ilham Bentaleb Alica Chroňáková Václav Krištůfek Ilenia M. D'Angeli Cristina Carbone Giuliana Madonia Marco Vattano Giovanna Scopelliti Didier Cailhol Nathalie Vanara Marjan Temovski Jean-Yves Bigot Jean-Claude Nobécourt Ermanno Galli Fernando Rull Aurelio Sanz-Arranz |
| author_facet | Philippe Audra Jo De Waele Ilham Bentaleb Alica Chroňáková Václav Krištůfek Ilenia M. D'Angeli Cristina Carbone Giuliana Madonia Marco Vattano Giovanna Scopelliti Didier Cailhol Nathalie Vanara Marjan Temovski Jean-Yves Bigot Jean-Claude Nobécourt Ermanno Galli Fernando Rull Aurelio Sanz-Arranz |
| author_sort | Philippe Audra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Guano is a typical deposit found in caves derived from the excretions of bats and in minor cases of birds. These organic deposits decompose and form a series of acid fluids and gases that can interact with the minerals, sediments, and rocks present in the cave. Over sixty phosphates are known and described from caves, but guano decay also often leads to the formation of nitrates and sulfates. In this study twenty-two European caves were investigated for their guano-related secondary minerals. Using various analytical techniques, seventeen phosphates, along with one sulfate (gypsum), were recognized as secondary products of guano decay. Among those minerals, some are very rare and result from the interaction of guano leachates with clays, fluvial deposits, or pyrite. Some of these minerals are even found only in the studied caves (spheniscidite, robertsite). The most common minerals belong to the apatite group. The common mineral association present in fresh decaying guano is brushite-ardealite-gypsum, minerals that usually are not present in older deposits because of their higher solubility. Most minerals are in hydrated form because of the wet cave environment; however, some specific dry conditions may favor the presence of dehydrated minerals, such as berlinite, formed during guano combustion. Investigation on the acidity of guano piles shows pH values as low as 3.5 with an increase of acidity with age and depth. Finally, cave guano deposits should be better studied in the future because of their role in paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions and because it is important to better understand the origin of guano-related minerals, especially the phosphates and sulfates. Among all of the caves studied, Corona ’e sa Craba (Italy) and Domica-Baradla Cave (Slovakia-Hungary) are considered to be outstanding sites with respect to their phosphate mineralogy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T10:00:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-629b7df034b24d56b9cd2394bbb178c8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0392-6672 1827-806X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T10:00:21Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | University of South Florida Libraries |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Speleology |
| spelling | doaj.art-629b7df034b24d56b9cd2394bbb178c82022-12-21T23:07:17ZengUniversity of South Florida LibrariesInternational Journal of Speleology0392-66721827-806X2019-01-014817510510.5038/1827-806X.48.1.2252Guano-related phosphate-rich minerals in European cavesPhilippe Audra0Jo De Waele1Ilham Bentaleb2Alica Chroňáková3Václav Krištůfek4Ilenia M. D'Angeli5Cristina Carbone6Giuliana Madonia7Marco Vattano8Giovanna Scopelliti9Didier Cailhol10Nathalie Vanara11Marjan Temovski12Jean-Yves Bigot13Jean-Claude Nobécourt14Ermanno Galli15Fernando Rull16Aurelio Sanz-Arranz17University of Nice Sophia-AntipolisUniversity of BolognaUniversity of MontpellierBiology Centre CAS, Ceske BudejoviceBiology Centre CAS, Ceske BudejoviceUniversity of BolognaUniversità di GenovaUniversity of PalermoUniversity of PalermoUniversity of PalermoUniversity Savoie – Mont-BlancUniversité Paris 1 – Panthéon-SorbonneInstitute of Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of SciencesAssociation Française de Karstologie (AFK)Crespe, VenceUniversità degli Studi di Modena e Reggio EmiliaUniversity of ValladolidUniversity of ValladolidGuano is a typical deposit found in caves derived from the excretions of bats and in minor cases of birds. These organic deposits decompose and form a series of acid fluids and gases that can interact with the minerals, sediments, and rocks present in the cave. Over sixty phosphates are known and described from caves, but guano decay also often leads to the formation of nitrates and sulfates. In this study twenty-two European caves were investigated for their guano-related secondary minerals. Using various analytical techniques, seventeen phosphates, along with one sulfate (gypsum), were recognized as secondary products of guano decay. Among those minerals, some are very rare and result from the interaction of guano leachates with clays, fluvial deposits, or pyrite. Some of these minerals are even found only in the studied caves (spheniscidite, robertsite). The most common minerals belong to the apatite group. The common mineral association present in fresh decaying guano is brushite-ardealite-gypsum, minerals that usually are not present in older deposits because of their higher solubility. Most minerals are in hydrated form because of the wet cave environment; however, some specific dry conditions may favor the presence of dehydrated minerals, such as berlinite, formed during guano combustion. Investigation on the acidity of guano piles shows pH values as low as 3.5 with an increase of acidity with age and depth. Finally, cave guano deposits should be better studied in the future because of their role in paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions and because it is important to better understand the origin of guano-related minerals, especially the phosphates and sulfates. Among all of the caves studied, Corona ’e sa Craba (Italy) and Domica-Baradla Cave (Slovakia-Hungary) are considered to be outstanding sites with respect to their phosphate mineralogy.https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/ijs/vol48/iss1/9/secondary cave mineralsphosphatesminerogenesislimestone cavesbat guano |
| spellingShingle | Philippe Audra Jo De Waele Ilham Bentaleb Alica Chroňáková Václav Krištůfek Ilenia M. D'Angeli Cristina Carbone Giuliana Madonia Marco Vattano Giovanna Scopelliti Didier Cailhol Nathalie Vanara Marjan Temovski Jean-Yves Bigot Jean-Claude Nobécourt Ermanno Galli Fernando Rull Aurelio Sanz-Arranz Guano-related phosphate-rich minerals in European caves International Journal of Speleology secondary cave minerals phosphates minerogenesis limestone caves bat guano |
| title | Guano-related phosphate-rich minerals in European caves |
| title_full | Guano-related phosphate-rich minerals in European caves |
| title_fullStr | Guano-related phosphate-rich minerals in European caves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Guano-related phosphate-rich minerals in European caves |
| title_short | Guano-related phosphate-rich minerals in European caves |
| title_sort | guano related phosphate rich minerals in european caves |
| topic | secondary cave minerals phosphates minerogenesis limestone caves bat guano |
| url | https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/ijs/vol48/iss1/9/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT philippeaudra guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT jodewaele guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT ilhambentaleb guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT alicachronakova guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT vaclavkristufek guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT ileniamdangeli guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT cristinacarbone guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT giulianamadonia guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT marcovattano guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT giovannascopelliti guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT didiercailhol guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT nathalievanara guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT marjantemovski guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT jeanyvesbigot guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT jeanclaudenobecourt guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT ermannogalli guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT fernandorull guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves AT aureliosanzarranz guanorelatedphosphaterichmineralsineuropeancaves |