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                                       Details for article 5 of 5 found articles
 
 
  The environmental features of the Monte Corchia cave system (Apuan Alps, central Italy) and their effects on speleothem growth
 
 
Title: The environmental features of the Monte Corchia cave system (Apuan Alps, central Italy) and their effects on speleothem growth
Author: Piccini Leonardo
Zanchetta Giovanni
Drysdale Russell
Hellstrom John
Isola Ilaria
Fallick Anthony E.
Leone Gabriello
Doveri Marco
Mussi Mario
Mantelli Francesco
Molli Giancarlo
Lotti Licia
Roncioni Adriano
Regattieri Eleonora
Meccheri Marco
Vaselli Luca
Appeared in: International journal of speleology
Paging: Volume 37 (2008) nr. 3 pages 153-172
Year: 2008
Contents: The Monte Corchia cave system, one of the most famous and popular caves in Italy, has in recent times been the subject of investigation on its speleothems as paleoclimate archives. This paper describes the geology, geomorphology and water chemistry of the cave system with the aim to elucidate the processes that have generated these speleothems and the properties they contain that are so useful for paleoclimatology. Some general conclusions can be drawn: i) the Corchia system is a cave developed over different altitudes during progressive uplift of the mountain chain in which it is located, probably under drainage conditions very different to those of the present. This has allowed the development of a large (ca. 60 km) and deep (-1187 m) karst system; ii) the dewatering phases have left the deepest chambers far away from clastic input and with long drip pathways; iii) the peculiar geological context has permitted the water to intercept and dissolve a significant source of U (still unknown) that facilitates radiometric dating; iv) in the last 1 Ma at least, no significant changes have occurred in the relief and in the epikarst, in the sense that speleothems have grown under very similar conditions. In addition the extremely low Ca concentration of drip waters have permitted low speleothem growth rates and, at least for the “Galleria delle Stalattiti”, the zone under paleoclimate studies,a stable plumbing system (i.e. chemistry and stable isotopes of drip waters) has produced calcite close to isotopic equilibrium.
Publisher: Società Speleologica Italiana (provided by DOAJ)
Source file: Elektronische Wetenschappelijke Tijdschriften
 
 

                             Details for article 5 of 5 found articles
 
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