Cryogenic cave calcite from several Central European caves: age, carbon and oxygen isotopes and a genetic model

Žák, Karel; Urban, Ján; Cílek, Václav; Hercman, Helena

doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2004.01.012

Cited by 59 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…It is therefore appears highly unlikely that hundreds of years separated the two calcite generations, but rather a much shorter time span, probably a few years at most. These isotopic observations add support to the model of CCC coarse formation suggesting that these crystals originate in small pools of meltwater carved in cave ice (Žák et al, 2004;Richter and Riechelmann, 2008) and experiencing very slow refreezing under closed-system conditions (Kluge et al, 2014). Our data show that there were several such (Nicolussi et al, 2005), advances of the east-Alpine Gepatsch Glacier beyond the extent of the 1940 AD glacier size (Nicolussi and Patzelt, 2001), a speleothembased record of the ice surface elevation of the Upper Grindelwald Glacier (Luetscher et al, 2011), 10 Be-dated evidence of a marked advance of Stein Glacier, Switzerland (Schimmelpfennig et al, 2014), and a semicontinuous glacier-length record of the Great Aletsch Glacier in the Western Alps (Holzhauser et al, 2005) for the last four millennia.…”

Section: Stable Isotopes and The Mode Of CCC Coarse Formationsupporting

confidence: 50%

“…The latter data set comprises data from 11 stalagmites, including the COMNISPA2 stack (Fohlmeister et al, 2013). (c) CCC coarse samples from MSK Cave in comparison to published CCC coarse (green) and CCC fine (light blue) data from non-Alpine caves in Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany and Canada (data from Clark and Lauriol, 1992;Žák et al, 2004Richter et al, 2013;Orvošová et al, 2014). The dark blue array labeled ERW shows data of in situ CCC fine from Eisriesenwelt in the Austrian Alps (Spötl, 2008).…”

Section: Characteristics Of CCC Coarsementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous research on CCC has focused on cave sites located in the periglacial corridor between the former Scandinavian and the Alpine ice sheets (e.g., Žák et al, 2004Richter et al, 2010Richter et al, , 2013Orvošová et al, 2014), and 230 Th dates from caves in the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia and Poland provide important constraints on the timing and depth distribution of permafrozen ground during the last glacial period and the Lateglacial period (see review by Žák et al, 2012). Only very few reports of CCC exist from caves in the Alpine realm, which may reflect the fact that this mountain range was occupied by a dendritic ice-stream network during glacial maxima.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Holocene climate change, permafrost and cryogenic carbonate formation: insights from a recently deglaciated, high-elevation cave in the Austrian Alps

Spötl

Cheng

2014

Clim. Past

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Abstract.Cryogenically formed carbonate particles represent a rather new class of speleothems whose origin is directly linked to the presence of perennial ice in the subsurface. Recent studies concluded that dating these deposits provides important time constraints on the presence and the thickness of permafrost, e.g., during the last glacial period. More precisely, these carbonates record episodes of progressive karst water freezing. Such conditions have been associated with periods of permafrost thawing allowing the infiltration of meltwater into formerly dry, frozen caves.To shed more light on the origin of the coarsely crystalline variety of these cryogenic cave carbonates -CCC coarse for short -we examined a high-elevation cave site in the western part of the Austrian Alps which is located in an area dominated by permafrost features and transformed from an ice cave into an essentially ice-free cave during the past decade. Two side chambers of the main gallery revealed cryogenic calcite deposits whose isotopic composition indicates that they formed in individual pools of water carved in ice which underwent very slow freezing under closed-system conditions, i.e., enclosed in ice. 230 Th dating shows that most of these carbonates formed ca. 2600 yr BP. Based on comparisons with other palaeoclimate archives in the Alps this thawing episode did not occur during a climate optimum, nor did CCC coarse form in this cave during, e.g., the Roman or the Medieval Warm Periods. Our results suggest that the occurrence of CCC coarse , at least in mountain regions characterized by discontinuous permafrost, may be more stochastic than previously thought. Given the inherent heterogeneity of karst aquifers and the important role of localized water infiltration in modifying the thermal structure of the subsurface, we caution against attributing CCC coarse occurrences solely to peak warming conditions, while confirming the unique significance of these deposits in providing robust age constraints on permafrost thawing episodes.

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Section: Stable Isotopes and The Mode Of CCC Coarse Formationsupporting

confidence: 50%

Section: Characteristics Of CCC Coarsementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Holocene climate change, permafrost and cryogenic carbonate formation: insights from a recently deglaciated, high-elevation cave in the Austrian Alps

Spötl

Cheng

2014

Clim. Past

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“…It has been suggested by Žák et al (2008) that fine-grained calcite powders formed during the rapid freezing of water, whereas a more-coarsed grain type formed during the slow freezing of water. Cryogenic cave calcite pearls (spherolites) are a specific type of speleothem currently only discovered in Central European caves (Žák et al, 2004;Richter & Niggemann, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Pleistocene cryogenic calcite spherolites from the Malachitdom Cave (NE Rhenish Slate Mountains, Germany): origin, unusual internal structure and stable C-O isotope composition

Richter¹,

Riechelmann²

2008

IJS

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Cryogenic calcites yielded U-series ages in the range from 15.61±0.20 ka to 14.48±0.12 ka, which is the youngest age obtained so far for this type of cryogenic cave carbonates in Europe. Most of these particles of the Malachitdom Cave (NE Brilon, Sauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia) are complex spherolites usually smaller than 1 cm. They show δ 13 C-values between -1 and -5 ‰ VPDB and δ18O-values ranging from -7 to -16 ‰ VPDB, the δ 13 C-values increase and the δ18O-values decrease from centre to border. The complex spherolites are interpreted to be formed in slowly freezing pools of residual water on ice, a situation that repeatedly occurred during the change of glacial to interglacial periods in the periglacial areas of Central Europe. After the melting of the caveice, the complex spherolites make up one type of cryogenic calcite particles in the arenitic to ruditic sediment. The objective of this study is to determine the origin and age of cave calcite spherolites in the Malachitdom Cave, Rhenish Slate Mountains, Germany. This objective will be reached by examining the internal structure and a possible change in stable C-O isotope composition of the spherolitical calcites.The cupula-spherolites discussed in this study were originally discovered at this location by Schmidt (1992) and the subsequent preliminary investigation Abstract:

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“…These δ 13 C CaCO3 values are lower than that expected from carbonates precipitated from dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in equilibrium with atmospheric CO 2 ; the δ 13 C CO2 at South Pole station ranges from À8.2 to À7.5‰ (Allison et al, 2003) which would yield a δ 13 C CaCO3 ranging from +3.0‰ (pH = 6.6) to +6.5‰ (pH > 9.0) under equilibrium condition (Bottinga, 1968). The formation of carbonates under equilibrium freezing of water with solely a dissolved atmospheric CO 2 source can be ruled out since the δ 13 C DIC would progressively increase during freezing under both open and closed conditions as a result of the removal of light CO 2 from the system during calcite precipitation (Socki et al, 2001;Zak et al, 2004Zak et al, , 2008. The formation of carbonates under kinetic freezing or evaporation conditions can also be ruled out given that the 13 C CO 2 -CaCO 3 fractionation factor is greater than under equilibrium conditions (kinetic freezing: ε 13 C CO 2 -CaCO 3 = 31.2 ±3.1‰ at 0°C; Clark & Lauriol, 1992; kinetic evaporation: ε 13 C CO 2 -CaCO 3 = 19.9 ± 7.8‰ at 22°C; Lacelle et al, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physicochemical and Biological Controls on Carbon and Nitrogen in Permafrost from an Ultraxerous Environment, McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica

et al. 2017

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Little is known about the abundance and source of soil organic carbon and biogeochemical cycling in permafrost soils from the ultraxerous environment of the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Here we investigate the distribution, source and cycling of organic carbon, total nitrogen and carbonates in the icy permafrost soils of University Valley, Quartermain Mountains. Results indicate that organic carbon content is lowest in icy soils from the perennially cryotic zone (<40 μg g−1 dry soils) and higher in the icy soils from the seasonally noncryotic zone, where the highest concentrations were found in the warmer‐wetter section of the valley and near a frozen pond (up to 313 μg g−1 dry soils). The δ13Corg of organic carbon in the icy soils showed that it is derived from the weathering of Beacon Supergroup sandstone that hosts active endolithic communities. The C:N ratios in icy soils formed two populations: one with ratios <5 and the other with ratios near the Redfield ratios. The low C:N ratios suggest that physicochemical processes dominates these soils, as supported by the absence of microbial activity and atmospherically deposited NO3 with minimal postdeposition modification. The near Redfield C:N ratios can be explained by physical processes (translocation of SOC in the soils from snow meltwater) or balanced microbial activity. The latter is supported by the δ13CCaCO3 values of carbonates that suggest a contribution from microbially respired endolith‐derived organic matter, providing indirect evidence of heterotrophic activity in permafrost soils from an ultraxerous environment.

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Cryogenic cave calcite from several Central European caves: age, carbon and oxygen isotopes and a genetic model

Cited by 59 publications

References 31 publications

Holocene climate change, permafrost and cryogenic carbonate formation: insights from a recently deglaciated, high-elevation cave in the Austrian Alps

Holocene climate change, permafrost and cryogenic carbonate formation: insights from a recently deglaciated, high-elevation cave in the Austrian Alps

Late Pleistocene cryogenic calcite spherolites from the Malachitdom Cave (NE Rhenish Slate Mountains, Germany): origin, unusual internal structure and stable C-O isotope composition

Physicochemical and Biological Controls on Carbon and Nitrogen in Permafrost from an Ultraxerous Environment, McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica

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