6533b854fe1ef96bd12addc0

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Monitoring of Cueva Larga, Puerto Rico—A First Step to Decode Speleothem Climate Records

Amos WinterAmos WinterThomas M. MillerChristoph SpötlDenis ScholzRolf VietenAndrea Schröder-ritzrauSophie F. WarkenSophie F. Warken

subject

Wet seasonHydrologygeographygeography.geographical_feature_category010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciencesStable isotope ratioδ18OSpeleothem010502 geochemistry & geophysicsKarst01 natural sciencesMonitoring programCaveDry seasonPhysical geography0105 earth and related environmental sciences

description

This study presents results of an ongoing cave monitoring program at Cueva Larga, Puerto Rico. The monitoring includes monthly analyses of stable isotope ratios of rain and drip water, and trace element ratios of drip water and cave air parameters. Drip sites are above growing speleothems offering the unique chance to calibrate geochemical variations in speleothems in order to reconstruct past climate conditions. Seasonal rainfall patterns above Cueva Larga show characteristic stable isotope values. The wet season is characterized by more negative δ18O and δD values and a maritime deuterium excess (+10‰). The dry season has more positive δ18O and δD values and elevated deuterium excess (>15%). The seasonal variations in the δ18O and δD values are smoothed by the soil and karst system which acts as a low-pass filter, indicating that climate proxies derived from speleothems growing in Cueva Larga may only show multiannual changes. The seepage water reservoir appears to be well-mixed. The transmission time of atmospheric signals into the drip water is site-specific ranging most likely from several months to years.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2017-09-07
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51070-5_36