Mountain permafrost in the Central Pyrenees: insights from the Devaux ice cave
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Published:2023-02-07
Issue:2
Volume:17
Page:477-497
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ISSN:1994-0424
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Container-title:The Cryosphere
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language:en
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Short-container-title:The Cryosphere
Author:
Bartolomé Miguel, Cazenave Gérard, Luetscher MarcORCID, Spötl ChristophORCID, Gázquez Fernando, Belmonte Ánchel, Turchyn Alexandra V.ORCID, López-Moreno Juan Ignacio, Moreno AnaORCID
Abstract
Abstract. Ice caves are one of the least studied parts of the cryosphere, particularly
those located in inaccessible permafrost areas at high altitudes or high
latitudes. We characterize the climate dynamics and the geomorphological
features of Devaux cave, an outstanding ice cave in the Central Pyrenees on
the French–Spanish border. Two distinct cave sectors were identified based
on air temperature and geomorphological observations. The first one
comprises well-ventilated galleries with large temperature oscillations
likely influenced by a cave river. The second sector corresponds to more
isolated chambers, where air and rock temperatures stay below
0 ∘C throughout the year. Seasonal layered ice and hoarfrost
occupy the first sector, while transparent, massive perennial ice is present
in the isolated chambers. Cryogenic calcite and gypsum are mainly present
within the perennial ice. During winter, the cave river freezes at the
outlet, resulting in a damming and backflooding of the cave. We suggest
that relict ice formations record past damming events with the subsequent
formation of congelation ice. δ34S values of gypsum
indicate that the sulfate originated from the oxidation of pyrite present in
the bedrock. Several features including air and rock temperatures, the
absence of drips, the small loss of ice in the past 7 decades, and the
location of ice bodies in the cave indicate that the cave permafrost is the
result of a combination of undercooling by ventilation and diffusive heat
transfer from the surrounding permafrost, reaching a thickness of
∼ 200 m.
Funder
Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
Publisher
Copernicus GmbH
Subject
Earth-Surface Processes,Water Science and Technology
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