Naslov
Stable Isotope Hydrology of Cave Groundwater and Its Relevance for Speleothem-Based Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction in Croatia

Autori
Surić, Maša ; Czuppon, György ; Lončarić, Robert ; Bočić, Neven ; Lončar, Nina ; Bajo, Petra ; Drysdale, Russell N.

Izvornik
Water (2073-4441) 12 (2020), 9; 2386, 23

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
stable isotopes ; drip water ; speleothem ; cave ; Croatia

Sažetak
Speleothems deposited from cave drip waters retain, in their calcite lattice, isotopic records of past environmental changes. Among other proxies, δ18O is recognized as very useful for this purpose, but its accurate interpretation depends on understanding the relationship between precipitation and drip water δ18O, a relationship controlled by climatic settings. We analyzed water isotope data of 17 caves from different latitudes and altitudes in relatively small but diverse Croatian karst regions in order to distinguish the dominant influences. Drip water δ18O in colder caves generally shows a greater resemblance to the amount-weighted mean of precipitation δ18O compared to warmer sites, where evaporation plays an important role. However, during glacial periods, today’s ‘warm’ sites were cold, changing the cave characteristics and precipitation δ18O transmission patterns. Superimposed on these settings, each cave has site-specific features, such as morphology (descending or ascending passages), altitude and infiltration elevation, (micro) location (rain shadow or seaward orientation), aquifer architecture (responsible for the drip water homogenization) and cave atmosphere (governing equilibrium or kinetic fractionation). This necessitates an individual approach and thorough monitoring for best comprehension.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Geologija, Geografija

Napomena
Projekt 60200 Sveučilišta u Zadru: Rekonstrukcija
regionalnih paleoklimatskih promjena – zapisi iz
siga sjeverne Dalmacije. Voditeljica: Maša Surić

POVEZANOST RADA