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Monitoring and Geochemical Investigations of Caves in Hungary: Implications for Climatological, Hydrological, and Speleothem Formation Processes

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Cave and Karst Systems of Hungary

Part of the book series: Cave and Karst Systems of the World ((CAKASYWO))

Abstract

Cave monitoring was conducted in the Béke and Baradla caves in the Aggtelek Karst, in the Ajándék-Ariadne cave system in the Pilis Mountain, as well as in the Szemlőhegy and Pálvölgy caves in the Buda Mountain. Climatological data outside of the cave (e.g., temperature, amount of precipitation), within the cave (temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration), as well as the geochemical data of drip water (chemical and isotopic compositions) and carbonates (stable isotope compositions) were compiled in order to constrain the processes that influence the cave air, drip waters, and the precipitated carbonates. The monitoring activities in the Béke and Baradla caves revealed that the speleothems formed in these caves are able to record temperature and hydrological changes, and hence the measured trace element and isotopic compositions together with petrographic characteristics can be used to reconstruct past climate and environmental fluctuations. In addition, the equations that best describe the carbonate-water oxygen isotope fractionation and best reflect the temperature dependence of the isotopic composition of precipitations were identified for paleotemperature reconstruction. The investigations conducted in the Ajándék-Ariadne cave system indicate that the isotope fractionation during carbonate formation in the Legény and Leány caves is kinetically altered. Most promising sites are assumed to be in the inner part of Vacska Cave within this system, where speleothems can be selected for future paleoclimate studies. The monitoring in the caves (Szemlőhegy and Pálvölgy caves) located under urban areas revealed a complex influence of both natural and anthropogenic factors on chemical and isotopic compositions of the drip water.

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Acknowledgements

The study was financially supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, Hungary (OTKA 101664, OTKA 123871 and PD 121387), the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (NANOMIN project, KEP-8/2018), and the Eötvös Loránd Research Network (KEP-1/2020). We are also thankful for the support and permission to the Aggtelek National Park Directorate and Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate. The János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences financially supported György Czuppon’s work. The work was language-edited by Iain Coulthard.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Budaörsi út 45., Budapest, H-1112, Hungary

    György Czuppon, Attila Demény & Ágnes Berentés

  2. Department of Physical and Applied Geology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary

    Szabolcs Leél-Őssy

  3. Stieber Environmental Ltd, Nyerges u. 6, H-1181, Budapest, Hungary

    József Stieber

  4. Nuclear Security Department, Centre of Energy Research, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, Budapest, H-1121, Hungary

    Mihály Óvári

  5. Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Karolina str. 29., Budapest, H-1113, Hungary

    Péter Dobosy

  6. Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate, Költő u. 21, Budapest, H-1121, Hungary

    Richard Kovács

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  1. György Czuppon
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Correspondence to György Czuppon .

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  1. SEK, Department of Geography, Eötvös Loránd University, Szombathely, Hungary

    Márton Veress

  2. Department of Physical and Applied Geology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

    Szabolcs Leél-Őssy

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Czuppon, G. et al. (2022). Monitoring and Geochemical Investigations of Caves in Hungary: Implications for Climatological, Hydrological, and Speleothem Formation Processes. In: Veress, M., Leél-Őssy, S. (eds) Cave and Karst Systems of Hungary . Cave and Karst Systems of the World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92960-2_16

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