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The temperature variation in an epikarstic cave and its impact factors: a case from Velika Pasica Cave, Central Slovenia

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Abstract

In order to reveal the temperature variation mechanism of a small and relatively closed cave, the surface temperature, the cave air temperature and the drip water temperatures were monitored with high-resolution recorders for a 7-year period. The results indicated that the cave temperature is mainly affected by the external seasonal oscillations. The temperature curve of the inner cave area (with standard deviation between 0.59 and 0.87) was much smoother in comparison with that of the surface (with SD as high as 8.46). However, the cave reacted to the temperature drifts with some delay, for example, at VP3 in 2006, the internal temperature increased for additional 49 days after the surface temperature dropped colder than inside of the cave. This seasonal variation and delayed response of the internal temperature were mainly affected by conduction from the epikarst rock mass. Air convection also occurred in the cave, especially when the surface temperature dropped lower than that of the inside cave (during the winter time) and in the outer section (close to the entrance), which caused an abrupt and irregular variation of the outer section. In addition, the influence from the percolating water was ephemeral and depended on its supplementary amount and temperature difference, e.g., there were more apparent responses at VP1 and VP3 when the intensive rain fell. The percolating water temperature could be a good indicator for water flow in epikarst.

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Acknowledgements

Authors would like to thank the Slovenian Research Agency for funds within the program P1-0255 and within the program for Young Researchers (Contract no. 1000-11-310196). Special thanks to Dr. Matthew Covington for his advice on the original thought of this manuscript. Sincere thanks to Prof. Dr. Julia Ellis Burnet for English editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Centre for Geotechnical Engineering and Information Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Wei Liu, Cuiying Zhou & Zhen Liu

  2. School of Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Wei Liu & Cuiying Zhou

  3. School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Zhen Liu

  4. School of Environmental School, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Chen Yang

  5. Department of Freshwater and Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, SI-1000, Slovenia

    Anton Brancelj

  6. Graduate School, University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, SI-5000, Slovenia

    Anton Brancelj

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  1. Wei Liu
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  2. Cuiying Zhou
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  3. Zhen Liu
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  4. Chen Yang
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  5. Anton Brancelj
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Correspondence to Cuiying Zhou.

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Liu, W., Zhou, C., Liu, Z. et al. The temperature variation in an epikarstic cave and its impact factors: a case from Velika Pasica Cave, Central Slovenia. Arab J Geosci 10, 2 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2761-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2761-7

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