Temperature-driven seasonal calcite growth and drip water trace element variations in a well-ventilated Texas cave: Implications for speleothem paleoclimate studies

摘要

A two-year cave monitoring study at Westcave Preserve in central Texas provides insight into the controls on the rate of calcite growth and dripwater Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, and Ba/Ca variations. The cave is shallowand has a large ratio of its opening area to its volume, which results in year-round ventilation of the cave. Unlike larger and deeper caves in the region that ventilate seasonally, cave-air temperature and CO2 concentrations at Westcave are near atmospheric throughout the year and calcite growth is continuous. Changes in the rate of calcite growth positively correlate with seasonal temperature variations at all six drip sites studied (r(2) = 0.12-0.76; mean r(2) = 0.47).