Volume 27(3), December 2000
BCRA > Publications > Cave &
Karst Science> Contents
Scroll down for Editorial | Papers | Reports |
Forum | Thesis Abstracts
Geomicrobiology of black sediments in Vântului Cave, Romania
Trichoniscoides saeroeensis in the British hypogean fauna
Speleothem
organic acid luminescence intensity ratios
Luminescence intensity of
speleothem feed waters
Airflow and radon concentration in South Wales
The Khammouan karst of Laos
Symposium Abstracts
Forum
Cover
Photo by Tony Waltham of cone karst in Laos.
These cones stand on the edge of a fengcong massif between Thakkek and
Mahaxai, in the heart of the Khammouan karst (see the paper in this issue). The
bridge in the foreground crosses a small river draining out of a series of
mature caves onto an alluviated karst plain that extends to the left.
- (Gunn, J. & D. Lowe (eds))
Editorial
Vol
27 (3) pp 99 - 100
-
The editorial takes the form of retrospect over the 20 previous
editorials in seven volumes.
Certain themes have been repeated several
times: the desire to maintain the reputation of Cave and Karst Science as an
international refereed journal; encouraging a wide range of papers from a wide
range of authors; and encouraging British cavers to present papers at BCRA
meetings, and to offer them for publication. In addition, themes have been
chosen to encourage discussion of techniques, such as the recent issue on water
tracing and false positives. The current issue tackles the use of scientific
terminology by cave and karst scientists, pointing out the sometimes imprecise
usage of some of our most familiar terms, e.g. "vein cavity", "pseudokarst",
"karst", "cave", "vadose", "phreatic", and "water table".
- Contributions and a Guest Editor are solicited for a forthcoming
Theme Issue on cave diving, highlighting in particular the scientific
discoveries made by divers.
-
- The assistance of the following reviewers and referees for Volume 27
is acknowledged: John Beck, Simon Bottrell, Rain Curl, Russell Drysdale, Ian
Fairchild, David Gillieson, Helen Goldie, Adrian Gregory, Stein-Erik Lauritzen,
Armstrong Osborne, Martyn Pedley, Paul Wood and Chas Yonge.
.
- (Friend, C.R.L.)
Contribution of airflow to the control
of seasonal variations in radon concentration in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, Penwyllt,
South Wales
Vol 27 (3) pp 101 - 108
- Abstract: A new winter and summer investigation of radon
concentrations in the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu system at Penwyllt, South Wales, was
carried out using 100 standard National Radiological Protection Board track
etch detectors. Fifty detectors were installed in the system in December 1998
and August 1999 for a period of 28 days. The data obtained confirm that the
system has moderately high radon concentrations with mean values of 2.318 Bq
m-3 in winter and 2,844 Bq m-3 in summer. Traverse means showed that OFD I to
Cwm Dwr has the highest mean concentration of the system in summer at 3,094 Bq
m-3, and has the lowest mean in winter, 1,946 Bq m-3. The extremely high
concentrations reported from the system in a previous study have not been
reproduced. A significant find from the data was that the airflow directions at
the entrances are not what might have been predicted. In the main, air appears
to be emerging continuously from the lowest entrance but, counter to
predictions, air enters at the higher entrances in winter and appears to come
out or be variable in summer. Inside the cave there are sites that have very
low radon concentrations in winter, and this can only be explained by ingress
of fresh air from the surface. This ingress is a surprising result, given that
warmer cave air might be expected to exit at these points. The low readings are
not matched in the summer experiment results, indicating again that ingress of
fresh air to some parts of the system is very variable. The complexity of
airflow within a multi-entrance system is illustrated.
- (Manolache, E. & B.P. Onac)
Geomicrobiology of black
sediments in Vântului Cave (Romania): preliminary results
- Vol 27 (3) pp 109 - 112
- Abstract: Five species of bacteria and one species of fungus have
been identified from the black sediments of Vântului Cave, Romania, using
molecular methods. Three of the bacterial species (Hyphomicrobium sp.,
Pedomicrobium fusiforme, Pedomicrobium manganicum) and the fungus
Cladosporium spp. are known to mediate the oxidation and precipitation
of manganese in different environments, by enzymatic or nonenzymatic
mechanisms. Sphingomonas mali could possibly be another bacterium that
contributes to the manganese precipitation in Vântului Cave. This
biologically mediated process is likely to be controlled by the pH and/or Eh
conditions existing within the subterranean stream environment. Additionally,
these microorganisms are implicated in the retention of some rare earth
elements within the black sediments.
- (Waltham, A.C. & J. Middleton)
The Khammouan karst of
Laos
Vol 27 (3) pp 113 - 120
- Abstract: The limestone hills of central Laos constitute a karst with
landscapes that are notable in a worldwide context. They contain a number of
large cave passages, including the Hinboun River Cave, which offers a
through-trip of 6.3Km entirely by powered boat.
- (Baker, A. & L. Bolton)
Speleothem organic acid
luminescence intensity ratios: a new palaeoenvironmental proxy
Vol
27(3) pp 121 - 124
- Abstract: One area of recent speleothem research has been the
analysis of luminescence variations. Here we present luminescence data for the
dominant luminescence centre (excitation wavelength 330 to 390nm; emission
wavelength 390 to 460nm). For many speleothems this peak can be resolved into
two luminescence maxima. Data presented here, from a variety of speleothems and
a wide range of cave locations, suggest that in many cases the ratio of
luminescence intensity of these two luminescence intensity sub-centres can
provide a more sensitive record of luminescence variations. Also, in some
cases, it can provide a palaeoenvironmental proxy.
- (Baker, A.)
Comparison of the luminescence intensity of
speleothem feed waters from six cave systems
Vol 27(3) pp 125 -
126
- Abstract: Feed waters that are associated with active stalagmite and
flowstone deposition in six cave systems were sampled over individual
hydrological years for their luminescence activity. Luminescence intensity of
cave waters has been demonstrated to derive from luminescent organic acids that
are transported from the overlying soil. Sample sites include Sharkham Point
Adit, Devon, a coastal site where luminescence may be quenched by marine
derived salts; Lower Cave, Bristol; Brown's Folly Mine, Wiltshire; Grotte de
Villars, Dordogne; Uamh an Tartair, Assynt and Stump Cross Caverns, Yorkshire.
Comparison of the mean annual luminescence intensity within sites demonstrates
that flowstone-depositing waters have higher luminescence intensity than
stalagmite waters. Inter-site comparison demonstrates increasing luminescence
intensity in the order Sharkham Point Adit < Lower Cave < Uamh an Tartair
< Stump Cross Caverns < Brown's Folly Mine << Grotte de Villars.
Villars has statistically higher luminescence intensity than all the other
sites at a 95% confidence level. A higher flowstone water luminescence
intensity than that of stalagmites agrees with results previously observed and
may be explained by: (1) a greater transport capacity at higher mean discharge;
(2) short groundwater residence time, which decreases the potential for
absorption of organic acids within the karst aquifer; (3) possible wider
fissures that optimise the transport of high molecular weight organic acids.
The significantly higher luminescence intensity observed at Grotte de Villars
correlates with the high dissolved calcium concentration in the dripwaters at
this site, and high stalagmite growth rate. It is suggested that further
investigations from a range of sites with differing dripwater calcium and soil
CO2 productivity would discover if changes in luminescence intensity correlate
with soil productivity, and hence can be used as a palaeoenvironmental proxy
when preserved in speleothems.
- (Moseley, M.)
Trichoniscoides saeroeensis
Lohmander (Isopoda: Trichononiscidae) in the British hypogean
fauna
- Vol 27(3) pp 127 - 128
- Abstract: The woodlouse Trichononiscoides saeroeensis was
collected from a mine adit near the shore at Langness, Isle of Man. The record
supports the contention that the species is cavernicolous in the British Isles.
Field evidence points to the woodlouse being exceptionally tolerant of water,
and this may partly explain its ability to survive in subterranean habitats.
These observations add weight to the contention that the species is an example
of a coastal invertebrate that is expanding its range by colonising the
hypogean, an evolutionary route that may have been followed by some other
terrestrial cave invertebrates.
Symposium Abstracts
- Abstracts of the BCRA Cave Science Symposium 2001
held at
the Pauling Human Sciences Centre, Oxford University, Oxford, UK,
3rd March
2001
Vol 27(3) pp 129 - 135
-
Corrigenda.
Vol 27 (3) p 137
- Correspondence.
- (Moseley, M.)
Comments on "Bivalves (Pisidiidae) in
English caves" by Knight, L. & P.J. Wood (Cave and Karst Science, Vol. 27
(2), August 2000)
- Vol 27 (3) pp 137 - 138
- Scientific Notes.
(Craven, S.A.)
Histoplasmosis in Southern Africa: An epidemiological
update
- Vol 27 (3) pp 138 - 139
(Bregani, E.R., T. Ceraldi & P. Tognini)
Furuncular myiasis caused by Dermatobia hominis in a caver
returned from Belize- Vol 27 (3) pp 139 - 140
Book Reviews
- (Day, M.)
Yuan, D. & Z. Liu (Eds), 2000. Global
karst correlation
Vol 27 (3) pp 141 - 142
- (Wood, P.)
Wilkens, H., D.C. Culver & W.F. Humphreys
(Eds), 2000. Ecosystems of the world, Volume 30: Subterranean
ecosystems
Vol 27 (3) pp 142 - 143
- (Tooth, A., 2000)
Controls on the geochemistry of
speleothem-forming karstic drip waters
Vol 27 (3) p 143
- Unpublished PhD thesis, Karst Hydrogeochemistry, School of Earth
Sciences and Geography, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG,
UK
- (Smith, H., 2000)
The hydro-ecology of limestone springs
in the Wye Valley, Derbyshire
Vol 27 (3) p 143
- Unpublished PhD thesis, Geographical Sciences, University of
Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK
This page created by Dr John D. Wilcock
j.wilcock[at]bcra...
and edited by David Gibson.
Top of Page