Chapter 27 - Ice Caves in Serbia

Abstract

Karst areas in Serbia, and the accompanying ice caves, are spatially distributed in two main tectonic units: the Dinarides on the southwest and the Carpatho-Balkanides on the east. The history of ice cave exploration in Serbia is more than a century long; it started with Ami Boué and Jovan Cvijić in the 19th century. However, the subsequent mapping and research were not very intensive, and were carried out only occasionally, without the use of sophisticated methods (data logging, absolute dating). At the current time, only 27 ice caves have been reliably determined in Serbia, 4 of which are perennial, 18 are seasonal, and 5 are occasionally perennial (in some years the ice melts during the summer, but in some years, during the summer and autumn, ice has been observed). The majority of the known ice caves are situated in the area of the Carpatho-Balkanides (22 caves), while five caves are located in the Dinarides of southwestern Serbia.