Abstract
Subsurface ice accumulations in temperate karst environments are assumed to be highly sensitive to external climate forcing and therefore represent a favorable setting for studying processes controlling heat exchanges in the heterothermic zone of a karst system. Air, rock, water, and ice temperatures were measured and complemented by airflow, water discharge, and cave air humidity data during a case study carried out between 2001 and 2006 at Monlesi ice cave in the Swiss Jura Mountains. The energy balance of the system could be quantified for an annual cycle, and results demonstrate that forced convection, which is controlled by the temperature difference between the cave air and the external atmosphere, is a driving force for the heat exchange between the cave and the surrounding environment. Therefore compared to the external mean annual conditions, major thermal anomalies are to be expected in the entrance zone of a cave system. Since this heterothermic zone may extend over several hundreds of meters, a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling the subsurface deposition environment represents a major prerequisite for high‐resolution paleoenvironmental reconstructions from cave deposits.
Highlights
Subsurface ice accumulations in temperate karst environments are assumed to be highly sensitive to external climate forcing and represent a favorable setting for studying processes controlling heat exchanges in the heterothermic zone of a karst system
Where DEair is sensible and latent heat advected by air circulation, Erock is ground heat flux, DEwater is sensible heat advected by water circulation, LEsnow is latent heat of intrusive snow, R is solar radiation, DSEice is sensible heat stored in the cave ice, and DLEice is latent heat of ice
[42] The quantification of heat fluxes at the boundaries of Monlesi cave system identified successfully the order of magnitudes of the individual components involved in the energy balance
Summary
Subsurface ice accumulations in temperate karst environments are assumed to be highly sensitive to external climate forcing and represent a favorable setting for studying processes controlling heat exchanges in the heterothermic zone of a karst system. Compared to the external mean annual conditions, major thermal anomalies are to be expected in the entrance zone of a cave system Since this heterothermic zone may extend over several hundreds of meters, a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling the subsurface deposition environment represents a major prerequisite for highresolution paleoenvironmental reconstructions from cave deposits. Our study attempts to document the energy and mass fluxes of Monlesi ice cave in the Swiss Jura Mountains and to compile these measurements into an energy balance model This ‘‘’’ accessible study site offers a favorable environment for the general investigation of heat exchanges in the heterothermic zone of a karst system and for assessing their response to changing climatic conditions. In presence of midwinter warm spells, the snow cover is, subject to partial melting in the course of the winter
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