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Wikipedia

Ice cave

January 01, 1970

This article is about caves that contain ice. For caves formed in ice, see glacier cave.

An ice cave is any type of natural cave (most commonly lava tubes or limestone caves) that contains significant amounts of perennial (year-round) ice. At least a portion of the cave must have a temperature below 0 °C (32 °F) all year round, and water must have traveled into the cave’s cold zone.

Dachstein-Rieseneishöhle (de) in Austria

Terminology edit

This type of cave was first[dubious – discuss] formally described by Englishman Edwin Swift Balch in 1900,[1] who suggested the French term glacieres should be used for them, even though the term ice cave was then, as now, commonly used to refer to caves simply containing year-round ice. Among speleologists, ice cave is the proper English term.[2]

A cavity formed within ice (as in a glacier) is properly called a glacier cave.[3]

Types edit

Ice caves occur as static ice caves, such as Peña Castil Ice Cave,[4] and dynamic or cyclical ice caves, such as Eisriesenwelt.[5][better source needed]

Temperature mechanisms edit

In most of the world, bedrock caves are thermally insulated from the surface and so commonly assume a near-constant temperature approximating the annual average temperature at the surface. In some cold environments, such as that surrounding Mount Erebus, average surface (and thus cave) temperatures are below freezing, and with surface water available in summer, ice caves are possible and are sometimes overlain by fumarolic ice towers.[6] However, many ice caves exist in temperate climates, due to mechanisms that result in cave temperatures being colder than average surface temperatures where they formed.[7]

 
Ice plates

Cold traps: Certain cave configurations allow seasonal convection to import cold air from the surface in winter, but not warm air in summer. A typical example is an underground chamber located below a single entrance. In winter, cold dense air settles into the cave, displacing any warmer air which rises and exits the cave. In summer, the cold cave air remains in place as the relatively warm surface air is lighter and cannot enter. The cave will only exchange air when the surface air is cooler than the cave air. Some cold traps may ensnare surface snow and shade it from the summer sun’s rays, which may further contribute to the colder cave temperature.[7]

Permafrost: Even temperate environments can include pockets of bedrock that are below freezing year round, a condition called permafrost. For example, winter wind and an absence of snow cover may allow freezing deep enough to be protected from summer thaw, particularly in light-colored rock that does not readily absorb heat. Although the portion of a cave within this permafrost zone will be below freezing, permafrost generally does not allow water percolation, so ice formations are often limited to crystals from vapor, and deeper cave passages may be arid and completely ice-free. Ice caves in permafrost need not be cold-traps (although some are), provided they do not draught significantly in summer.

Evaporative cooling: In winter, dry surface air entering a moisture-saturated cave may have an additional cooling effect due to the latent heat of evaporation. This may create a zone within the cave that is cooler than the rest of the cave. Because many caves have seasonally-reversing draughts, the corresponding warming of the cave through condensation in summer may occur at a different location within the cave, but in any event a moisture-saturated cave environment is likely to experience much more evaporative cooling than condensative warming.

Types of ice edit

 
Needle ice extrusions

Different freezing mechanisms result in visually and structurally distinct types of perennial cave ice.

Ponded water: Surface water that collects and ponds in a cave before freezing will form a clear ice mass, and can be tens of metres thick and of great age. Large ice masses are plastic and can slowly flow in response to gravity or pressure from further accumulations. Sculpting from air flow and sublimation may reveal ancient accumulation bands within the ice.

Accumulated snow: Compressed under the weight of ongoing accumulations, snow sliding or falling into a cave entrance may eventually form ice that is coarsely crystalline, akin to glacier ice. True underground glaciers are rare.

Ice formations: Water that freezes before ponding may form icicles, ice-stalagmites, ice columns or frozen waterfalls.[7]

Airborne moisture (water vapor): Freezing vapor can form frost crystals, frost feathers and two-dimensional ice plates on the cave walls and ceiling.

Needle ice: Infiltrating water that freezes within the bedrock can sometimes be forced into the cave passage.

Intrusions: The weight of a surface glacier perched atop a cave entrance can force glacial ice a short distance into the cave. The only known examples of this phenomenon are the several 'ice plugs' at the back of Castleguard Cave in Alberta.

Examples edit

Further reading edit

  • Macdonald, W.D. Mechanisms for Ice Development in Ice Caves of Western North America The Canadian Caver 25/1 and 25/2, 1993.
  • Rachlewicz, G., Szczuciński, W. Seasonal, annual and decadal ice mass balance changes in Jaskinia Lodowa w Ciemniaku, the Tatra Mountains, Poland Theoretical and Applied Karstology, 17: 11-18, 2004. (documents ice mass loss in the Ciemniak Ice Cave, Poland).

References edit

  1. ^ Balch, E.S. (1900). Glacieres or Freezing Caverns.
  2. ^ Ford, Derek C.; Williams, P.W. (1989). Karst Geomorphology and Hydrology.
  3. ^ (PDF). Karst Waters Institute. 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-12-17.
  4. ^ Berenguer-Sempere, Fernando; Gómez-Lende, Manuel; Serrano, Enrique; Juan de Sanjosé-Blasco, José (2014). "Orthothermographies and 3D modeling as potential tools in ice caves studies: the Peña Castil Ice Cave (Picos de Europa, Northern Spain)" (PDF). International Journal of Speleology. 43 (1): pp.=35–43.
  5. ^ Anonymous Eisriesenwelt: Scientific Background 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine eisriesenwelt.at, undated, 7pp, retrieved January 2016.
  6. ^ D. W. H. Walton (28 March 2013). Antarctica: Global Science from a Frozen Continent. Cambridge University Press. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-107-00392-7.
  7. ^ a b c Barck, C. (December 1913). "Caves". Mazama. 4 (2). Portland, OR: Mazamas: 61–69. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  8. ^ Features of the Bandera Crater flow, Including Aa Lava & Ice CavesIce Cave at Bandera Volcano 2015-09-08 at the Wayback Machine Virtual Field Trip to the basalts of the Zuni-Bandera Malpais, New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology, 2000, retrieved 17 January 2016.
  9. ^ Bortig Pit Cave – The Underground Ice World, Travel Guide Romania website, June 2014, retrieved 17 January 2016.
  10. ^ Dobšiná Ice Cave Slovak Caves Administration, undated, retrieved 17 January 2016.
  11. ^ Fuhrmann, Kelly (August 2007). "Monitoring the disappearance of a perennial ice deposit in Merrill Cave" (PDF). Journal of Cave and Karst Studies. 69 (2): 256–265. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  12. ^ Scarisoara Ice Cave – the biggest underground glacier in Romania, Travel Guide Romania website, December 24, 2014, retrieved 17 January 2016.

External links edit

  • The Virtual Cave: Ice Formations in Ice Caves goodearthgraphics.com
  • Video of an ice cave in the Big Snowy Mountains of Montana YouTube video
  • Rod Benson Big Ice Cave in the Pryor Mountains of Montana For Montana website, selfpublished, 2009, retrieved 17 January 2016.
  • Eisriesenwelt Austria, undated. retrieved 17 January 2016
  • Kungur Ice Cave
  • Durmitor Ice Cave 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine
  • University of Milano, Italy
  • Marco Plebani GROTTE DI GHIACCIO Marco Plebani website, June 2009, 3pp (in Italian), retrieved 17 January 2016.

January 01, 1970
cave, this, article, about, caves, that, contain, caves, formed, glacier, cave, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, fin. This article is about caves that contain ice For caves formed in ice see glacier cave This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Ice cave news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2012 Learn how and when to remove this message An ice cave is any type of natural cave most commonly lava tubes or limestone caves that contains significant amounts of perennial year round ice At least a portion of the cave must have a temperature below 0 C 32 F all year round and water must have traveled into the cave s cold zone Dachstein Rieseneishohle de in Austria Contents 1 Terminology 2 Types 3 Temperature mechanisms 4 Types of ice 5 Examples 6 Further reading 7 References 8 External linksTerminology editThis type of cave was first dubious discuss formally described by Englishman Edwin Swift Balch in 1900 1 who suggested the French term glacieres should be used for them even though the term ice cave was then as now commonly used to refer to caves simply containing year round ice Among speleologists ice cave is the proper English term 2 A cavity formed within ice as in a glacier is properly called a glacier cave 3 Types editIce caves occur as static ice caves such as Pena Castil Ice Cave 4 and dynamic or cyclical ice caves such as Eisriesenwelt 5 better source needed Temperature mechanisms editIn most of the world bedrock caves are thermally insulated from the surface and so commonly assume a near constant temperature approximating the annual average temperature at the surface In some cold environments such as that surrounding Mount Erebus average surface and thus cave temperatures are below freezing and with surface water available in summer ice caves are possible and are sometimes overlain by fumarolic ice towers 6 However many ice caves exist in temperate climates due to mechanisms that result in cave temperatures being colder than average surface temperatures where they formed 7 nbsp Ice plates Cold traps Certain cave configurations allow seasonal convection to import cold air from the surface in winter but not warm air in summer A typical example is an underground chamber located below a single entrance In winter cold dense air settles into the cave displacing any warmer air which rises and exits the cave In summer the cold cave air remains in place as the relatively warm surface air is lighter and cannot enter The cave will only exchange air when the surface air is cooler than the cave air Some cold traps may ensnare surface snow and shade it from the summer sun s rays which may further contribute to the colder cave temperature 7 Permafrost Even temperate environments can include pockets of bedrock that are below freezing year round a condition called permafrost For example winter wind and an absence of snow cover may allow freezing deep enough to be protected from summer thaw particularly in light colored rock that does not readily absorb heat Although the portion of a cave within this permafrost zone will be below freezing permafrost generally does not allow water percolation so ice formations are often limited to crystals from vapor and deeper cave passages may be arid and completely ice free Ice caves in permafrost need not be cold traps although some are provided they do not draught significantly in summer Evaporative cooling In winter dry surface air entering a moisture saturated cave may have an additional cooling effect due to the latent heat of evaporation This may create a zone within the cave that is cooler than the rest of the cave Because many caves have seasonally reversing draughts the corresponding warming of the cave through condensation in summer may occur at a different location within the cave but in any event a moisture saturated cave environment is likely to experience much more evaporative cooling than condensative warming Types of ice editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed January 2016 Learn how and when to remove this message nbsp Needle ice extrusions Different freezing mechanisms result in visually and structurally distinct types of perennial cave ice Ponded water Surface water that collects and ponds in a cave before freezing will form a clear ice mass and can be tens of metres thick and of great age Large ice masses are plastic and can slowly flow in response to gravity or pressure from further accumulations Sculpting from air flow and sublimation may reveal ancient accumulation bands within the ice Accumulated snow Compressed under the weight of ongoing accumulations snow sliding or falling into a cave entrance may eventually form ice that is coarsely crystalline akin to glacier ice True underground glaciers are rare Ice formations Water that freezes before ponding may form icicles ice stalagmites ice columns or frozen waterfalls 7 Airborne moisture water vapor Freezing vapor can form frost crystals frost feathers and two dimensional ice plates on the cave walls and ceiling Needle ice Infiltrating water that freezes within the bedrock can sometimes be forced into the cave passage Intrusions The weight of a surface glacier perched atop a cave entrance can force glacial ice a short distance into the cave The only known examples of this phenomenon are the several ice plugs at the back of Castleguard Cave in Alberta Examples editBandera Volcano Ice Cave New Mexico United States 8 Bixby State Preserve Iowa United States Booming Ice Chasm Alberta Canada Bortig Pit Cave Apuseni Mountains Romania 9 Canyon Creek Ice Cave Alberta Canada Castleguard Cave Alberta Canada Coudersport Ice Mine Pennsylvania United States Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve Iowa United States Demanovska Ice Cave Slovakia Dobsina Ice Cave Slovakia UNESCO World Heritage site 2000 10 Eisriesenwelt Werfen Austria Grotta del Gelo Sicily Italy Grotte Casteret Aragon Spanish Pyrenees Ice Mountain West Virginia United States Kungur Ice Cave Perm Krai Russia Merrill Cave Lava Beds National Monument California 11 Narusawa Ice Cave Mount Fuji Japan Niter Ice Cave Idaho United States Sam s Point Preserve New York United States Scărișoara Cave Romania 12 Schellenberg Ice Cave Bavaria Germany Shawangunk Ridge New York United States Speilsalen Norway collapsed in 2007 Vidgelmir West Iceland Further reading editMacdonald W D Mechanisms for Ice Development in Ice Caves of Western North America The Canadian Caver 25 1 and 25 2 1993 Rachlewicz G Szczucinski W Seasonal annual and decadal ice mass balance changes in Jaskinia Lodowa w Ciemniaku the Tatra Mountains Poland Theoretical and Applied Karstology 17 11 18 2004 documents ice mass loss in the Ciemniak Ice Cave Poland References edit Balch E S 1900 Glacieres or Freezing Caverns Ford Derek C Williams P W 1989 Karst Geomorphology and Hydrology A Lexicon of Cave and Karst Terminology with Special Reference to Environmental Karst Hydrology PDF Karst Waters Institute 2002 Archived from the original PDF on 2012 12 17 Berenguer Sempere Fernando Gomez Lende Manuel Serrano Enrique Juan de Sanjose Blasco Jose 2014 Orthothermographies and 3D modeling as potential tools in ice caves studies the Pena Castil Ice Cave Picos de Europa Northern Spain PDF International Journal of Speleology 43 1 pp 35 43 Anonymous Eisriesenwelt Scientific Background Archived 2016 03 04 at the Wayback Machine eisriesenwelt at undated 7pp retrieved January 2016 D W H Walton 28 March 2013 Antarctica Global Science from a Frozen Continent Cambridge University Press p 61 ISBN 978 1 107 00392 7 a b c Barck C December 1913 Caves Mazama 4 2 Portland OR Mazamas 61 69 Retrieved February 20 2016 Features of the Bandera Crater flow Including Aa Lava amp Ice CavesIce Cave at Bandera Volcano Archived 2015 09 08 at the Wayback Machine Virtual Field Trip to the basalts of the Zuni Bandera Malpais New Mexico Institute of Mining amp Technology 2000 retrieved 17 January 2016 Bortig Pit Cave The Underground Ice World Travel Guide Romania website June 2014 retrieved 17 January 2016 Dobsina Ice Cave Slovak Caves Administration undated retrieved 17 January 2016 Fuhrmann Kelly August 2007 Monitoring the disappearance of a perennial ice deposit in Merrill Cave PDF Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 69 2 256 265 Retrieved 18 February 2024 Scarisoara Ice Cave the biggest underground glacier in Romania Travel Guide Romania website December 24 2014 retrieved 17 January 2016 External links editThe Virtual Cave Ice Formations in Ice Caves goodearthgraphics com Video of an ice cave in the Big Snowy Mountains of Montana YouTube video Rod Benson Big Ice Cave in the Pryor Mountains of Montana For Montana website selfpublished 2009 retrieved 17 January 2016 Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave photos Eisriesenwelt Austria undated retrieved 17 January 2016 Kungur Ice Cave Durmitor Ice Cave Archived 2015 04 02 at the Wayback Machine Speleoglacio Ice Cave Research Group University of Milano Italy Marco Plebani GROTTE DI GHIACCIO Marco Plebani website June 2009 3pp in Italian retrieved 17 January 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ice cave amp oldid 1209429826, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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