Speleothem Science

Ian Fairchild was originally a geologist, then more specifically a sedimentologist, morphing into a physical geographer with leanings to environmental chemistry, before putting more geology back in the mix.  Hence, he is now Professor of Geosystems at the University of Birmingham, UK, researching both on modern environments and interpreting those in deep time, with carbonates, waters and climates as linking themes.  Andy Baker was trained as a physical geographer, and worked at the interface of geology, physical geography, and environmental engineering.   He is currently a Professor at the University of New South Wales and a chief investigator in Australia’s National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training.

Preface, xi

Acknowledgements, xiii

I Scientifi c and geological context, 1

1 Introduction to speleothems and systems, 3

1.1 What is all the fuss about?, 3

1.2 How is this book organized?, 11

1.3 Concepts and approaches of system science, 13

1.4 The speleothem factory within the karst system, 18

2 Carbonate and karst cave geology, 28

2.1 Carbonates in the Earth system over geological time, 28

2.2 Lithologies of carbonate host rocks, 34

2.3 Carbonate diagenesis and eogenetic karst, 47

2.4 Speleogenesis in mesogenetic and telogenetic karst (with contributions from John Gunn and David J Lowe), 55

2.5 Cave infilling, 64

2.6 Conclusion, 71

3 Surface environments: climate, soil and vegetation, 73

3.1 The modern climate system, 73

3.2 Water isotopes in the atmosphere, 84

3.3 Soils of karst regions, 94

3.4 Vegetation of karst regions, 102

3.5 Synthesis: inputs to the incubator, 104

II Transfer processes in karst, 105

4 The speleothem incubator, 107

4.1 Introduction to speleophysiology, 107

4.2 Physical parameters and fl uid behaviour, 109

4.3 Water movement, 114

4.4 Air circulation, 122

4.5 Heat flux (authored by David Domínguez-Villar), 137

4.6 Synthesis: cave climatologies, 145

5 Inorganic water chemistry, 148

5.1 Sampling protocols for water chemistry, 148

5.2 The carbonate system, 152

5.3 Weathering, trace elements and isotopes, 156

5.4 Carbon isotopes, 173

5.5 Evolution of cave water chemistry: modelling sources and environmental signals, 180

6 Biogeochemistry of karstic environments, 187

6.1 Introduction, 187

6.2 Organic macromolecules, 188

6.3 Pollen and spores, 198

6.4 Cave faunal remains, 199

6.5 Synthesis and research gaps, 200

III Speleothem properties, 205

7 The architecture of speleothems, 207

7.1 Introduction, 207

7.2 Theoretical models of stalagmite growth and of stalagmite and stalactite shapes, 207

7.3 Geometrical classifi cation of speleothems, 213

7.4 Mineralogy and petrology, 223

7.5 Synthesis, 241

8 Geochemistry of speleothems, 245

8.1 Analysis and the sources of uncertainty, 245

8.2 The growth interface, 249

8.3 Trace element partitioning, 255

8.4 Oxygen and carbon isotope fractionation, 263

8.5 Evolution of dripwater and speleothem chemistry along water flowlines, 277

8.6 Process models of variability over time, 281

9 Dating of speleothems, 290

9.1 Introduction, 290

9.2 Dating techniques, 291

9.3 Age–distance models, 300

9.4 Conclusions, 301

IV Palaeoenvironments, 303

10 The instrumental era: calibration and validation of proxy-environment relationships, 305

10.1 Available instrumental and derived series, 306

10.2 Methodologies, 311

10.3 Case studies of calibrated speleothem proxies, 316

10.4 Questions raised and future directions, 323

11 The Holocene epoch: testing the climate and environmental proxies, 324

11.1 A brief overview of the Holocene, 325

11.2 The past millennium, 327

11.3 Holocene environmental changes: speleothem responses, 334

11.4 Questions raised and future directions, 351

12 The Pleistocene and beyond, 353

12.1 Pleistocene proxy records (ice-age climate fl uctuations defined and drawn), 353

12.2 Insights into pre-Quaternary palaeoenvironments, 361

12.3 Questions raised and looking to the future, 365

APPENDIX 1 Archiving speleothems and speleothem data, 368

References, 371

Index, 421