Cryogenic Cave Pearls In the Periglacial Zones of Ice Caves
Karel Žák, Monika Orvošová, Michal Filippi, Lukáš Vlček, Bogdan P. Onac, Aurel Perşoiu, Jan Rohovec, Ivo Světlík
Abstract
The Carpathian Mountains across Slovakia and Romania are home of several ice caves located at elevations between 700 and 1,200 m above sea level (asl). Although the mean surface annual temperature is above the freezing point, perennial ice deposits are common in caves and shafts with certain morphologies (large entrances followed by steep vertical or downward-sloping passages), into which the dense cold winter air sinks and remains trapped all year round. A particular type of cave pearls (cryogenic cave pearls, CCPs) occur in spatially restricted accumulations or extensive pearl fields (layers locally up to 0.5 m in thickness) within the scree covering the cave floor in the periglacial zone of these caves. The temperature in the periglacial zone oscillates around the freezing point, promoting seasonal ice formation
Zdroj: http://archives.datapages.com/data/sepm/journals/083/083002/207_i1527-1404-83-2-207.htm
