Cave Waters: Modern Perspectives for Short to Long-Term Environmental Monitoring

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrogeology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2024 | Viewed by 7072

Special Issue Editors

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy
Interests: geomorphology; hydrogeology; groundwater; speleology; paleoclimatology; geomorphological mapping; glacier; quaternary geology
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy
Interests: mercury; water pollution; hydrology; geomorphology; soil pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Geography, University of Bergen, Fosswinckels Gate 6, 5020 Bergen, Norway
Interests: geomorphology; hydrogeology; speleology; karsthydrology; geomorphological mapping; field geology; quaternary geology; glacier
Department of Geography, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
Interests: geomorphology; hydrogeology; speleology; physical geography; karst hydrology; geomorphological mapping; monitoring; field geology; quaternary geology; glacier

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Groundwater is the main water resource for civil uses in the world. Most of it is found within recent continental deposits (i.e., porous media), but a significant part is stored in fractured rock bodies. The groundwater flow in fractured rocks is usually investigated through the study of the hydrodynamics of springs or in-well investigations. The occurrence of underground cavities accessible to humans—the caves—offers the possibility of directly investigating groundwater dynamics from infiltration to the out-flow. This possibility mainly concerns karst aquifers, but caves can also be found in other types of rocks (e.g., quartzite caves, lava tubes, etc.). Cave waters also host important ecosystems, which, in addition to their value in terms of biodiversity, also play an important role in ensuring the good quality of groundwater.

During their underground flow, cave waters change their physical and chemical characteristics due to various environmental factors. Cave waters, therefore, offer the possibility of monitoring in a targeted way the spatial and temporal variations of some physical, chemical, and biological parameters, obtaining vital environmental data records.

This Special Issue aims to give visibility to the most recent advances regarding the study of cave waters, both from a methodological point of view and concerning the perspectives of obtaining information on the role of climate on both infiltration and groundwater dynamics and on the ecosystems they host.

Dr. Leonardo Piccini
Dr. Alessia Nannoni
Dr. Christos Pennos
Dr. Rannveig Øvrevik Skoglund
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 10787 KiB  
Article
A Cost-Effective and Straightforward Approach for Conducting Short- and Long-Term Biomonitoring of Gold Mine Waters
by Daniela R. Borda, Ioan Cociuba, Nicolae Cruceru, Delia C. Papp and Ioana N. Meleg
Water 2023, 15(16), 2883; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15162883 - 09 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1028
Abstract
Gold mining pollution has long-lasting effects on the environment, particularly through acid mine drainage (AMD) and heavy metal contamination. Monitoring and assessing the impact of this pollution is crucial, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of remediation efforts. In our study, conducted in [...] Read more.
Gold mining pollution has long-lasting effects on the environment, particularly through acid mine drainage (AMD) and heavy metal contamination. Monitoring and assessing the impact of this pollution is crucial, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of remediation efforts. In our study, conducted in the gold mining area of Zlatna (GMAZ), western Romania, we utilised on-site measurements of water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, and dissolved oxygen, along with the quantification of culturable aerobic bacteria and microfungi using ready-to-use media plates. We also examined the taxonomic richness of water invertebrates (TRWI) and the environmental features of the sites. Our study found significant negative impacts on the water biota in mining areas, with microbial abundance proving to be a reliable indicator of AMD pollution. While water invertebrates can also serve as indicators of mining effects, their abundance alone may not always accurately reflect pollution levels at every site. This multiple-factor analysis highlights the influences of water type, geological characteristics, air temperature, and precipitation on the structure of the aquatic biota. We observed a natural attenuation of mining pollution in the GMAZ in the last seven years. This study demonstrates that the quantification of microbiota, along with TRWI and basic physicochemical parameters, can offer a cost-effective alternative to expensive monitoring methods for assessing mining pollution. Full article
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23 pages, 8042 KiB  
Article
Characterising Rhythmic and Episodic Pulsing Behaviour in the Castleton Karst, Derbyshire (UK), Using High Resolution in-Cave Monitoring
by John Gunn and Chris Bradley
Water 2023, 15(12), 2301; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15122301 - 20 Jun 2023
Viewed by 900
Abstract
The discharge from most karst springs exhibits a consistent and reasonably predictable response to recharge but a few exhibit short-term (‘rhythmic’) changes in flow that are commonly attributed to the geometry of feeder conduits and the action of siphons. This paper investigates water [...] Read more.
The discharge from most karst springs exhibits a consistent and reasonably predictable response to recharge but a few exhibit short-term (‘rhythmic’) changes in flow that are commonly attributed to the geometry of feeder conduits and the action of siphons. This paper investigates water flow in a karst system that exhibits rhythmic and episodic changes in discharge due to variations in flow from two phreatic conduits (Main Rising (MR) and Whirlpool Rising (WR)) that pass through Speedwell Cavern en route to the springs. Water tracing experiments indicate that the conduits receive both allogenic and autogenic recharge. Flow dynamics and conduit behaviour were investigated using high-resolution (2-min) water depth data collected from MR and WR between 2012 and 2015 (when MR was dominant) and between 2021 and 2023 (when WR was dominant). Water depths were also logged in a cave at the upstream end of a conduit draining to both MR and WR and at springs. The short-term temporal variability in water depths at both MR and WR is greater than any documented in previous studies. This is attributed to conduit bedrock geometry and changes in conduit permeability due to sediment accumulation in phreatic loops, which together influence the response to recharge. Full article
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21 pages, 6098 KiB  
Article
Hydrogeochemistry and Isotopic Composition of Waters in the Renella Cave (Central Italy): New Insights into Groundwater Dynamics
by Marco Chimenti, Stefano Natali, Roberto Giannecchini, Giovanni Zanchetta, Ilaria Baneschi, Marco Doveri, Ilaria Isola and Leonardo Piccini
Water 2023, 15(9), 1764; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15091764 - 04 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1273
Abstract
This article presents data from monthly monitoring carried out on cave and stream waters belonging to the Renella Cave karst system from September 2020 to April 2022. Additionally, old data pertaining to cave waters from previous published work are discussed. The aim is [...] Read more.
This article presents data from monthly monitoring carried out on cave and stream waters belonging to the Renella Cave karst system from September 2020 to April 2022. Additionally, old data pertaining to cave waters from previous published work are discussed. The aim is to develop a dataset for future climatic and hydrological studies on the Renella Cave and its surface recharges. Water samples were collected and analyzed for major ions, δ18O and δ2H, on water molecules. The cave sump water level, water temperature, and electrical conductivity were continuously measured and compared to the precipitation data. Additionally, air temperature and pressure inside and outside the cave were also monitored. The classification based on the Piper-Hill diagram indicated that both stream and cave waters belong to the bicarbonate-alkaline earth hydrochemical facies, indicating that their chemism is essentially determined by the dissolution of the Grezzoni Fm. Isotopic data suggest that both stream and cave waters have a meteoric origin, and their variability mainly depends on underground homogenization. Hydrogeochemistry, isotopic composition, and the monitoring data allowed a deeper understanding of the cave karst system, and identified an underground circulation network that is fragmented into independent parts. Full article
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15 pages, 5843 KiB  
Article
Life-History Traits and Acclimation Ability of a Copepod Species from the Dripping Waters of the Corchia Cave (Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy)
by Tiziana Di Lorenzo, Diana Maria Paola Galassi, Agostina Tabilio Di Camillo, Maria Mirabela Pop, Sanda Iepure and Leonardo Piccini
Water 2023, 15(7), 1356; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15071356 - 01 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1567
Abstract
Copepods are the dominant crustacean group in groundwater, where they perform valuable ecosystem services related to carbon recycling. The life-history traits of stygobitic (groundwater-obligate dweller) copepods, however, have only been casually studied in the past. In addition, next to nothing is known about [...] Read more.
Copepods are the dominant crustacean group in groundwater, where they perform valuable ecosystem services related to carbon recycling. The life-history traits of stygobitic (groundwater-obligate dweller) copepods, however, have only been casually studied in the past. In addition, next to nothing is known about the responses of stygobitic copepods to climate change. In this study, we investigated the life-history traits and respiratory metabolism of a species of harpacticoid copepods, Moraria sp., endemic to the Corchia Cave in the Apuan Alps (Italy). We collected the specimens of Moraria sp. from the dripping waters of the cave and observed their development, survival, and reproduction rates in the laboratory for one year. We also evaluated the acclimation ability of adult females of Moraria sp. by measuring their oxygen consumption in a temperature range from 8 °C (average annual temperature of the dripping water in the Stalactites Gallery of the Corchia Cave) to 12.5 °C (maximum temperature of the dripping water of the cave expected according to climate change scenarios in 2100). Our results indicate that Moraria sp. Is a stenothermal species showing remarkable stygobitic traits (long life span, low metabolic rates). We noted that the metabolism of this species is significantly affected by small (+1.5 °C) thermal changes. Our results showed no metabolic compensation occurring in this species over two weeks of exposure to temperatures higher than 8 °C. The outcomes of this study suggest that Moraria sp. May not be able to tolerate thermal changes brought on by climate change. Full article
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16 pages, 3861 KiB  
Article
Karstic Aquifers—Simple or Hybrid Systems? Thermal Stories from Maaras Cave, Greece
by Rannveig Øvrevik Skoglund, Christos Pennos, Aurel Perşoiu and Yorgos Sotiriadis
Water 2023, 15(3), 488; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15030488 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1597
Abstract
Karst systems, such as caves, provide a unique opportunity to study the groundwater from the inside in contrast to spring studies, where hydrographs, chemographs, and thermographs show an integrated signal from the entire catchment and aquifer. Studies from karst springs show that recharge [...] Read more.
Karst systems, such as caves, provide a unique opportunity to study the groundwater from the inside in contrast to spring studies, where hydrographs, chemographs, and thermographs show an integrated signal from the entire catchment and aquifer. Studies from karst springs show that recharge and conduit characteristics significantly influence how the temperature signal is transmitted and thus could inform on the structure of underground flow paths. Here, we present monitoring temperature data from a two-year-long study of a 10 km long river cave, Maaras, in northern Greece. Our data from five measuring stations along the cave stream show how different flow paths transform the temperature signal. The catchment area consists of a polje impacting the recharge conditions that change seasonally from diffuse to concentrated. Diffuse recharge stabilizes the temperature regardless of the conduit conditions. However, temperature fluctuations occur on four different time scales: seasonal, event-based, diurnal, and hourly, indicating different passage conditions. Interaction between the cave stream and the in-cave porous aquifer in the clastic sediments strongly impacts the alteration of the thermal signal through the cave: temperature fluctuations are damped, and the temperature is raised. Full article
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