Cryogenic cave carbonate and implications for thawing permafrost at Winter Wonderland Cave, Utah, USA

Cryogenic cave carbonate and implications for thawing permafrost at Winter Wonderland Cave, Utah, USA

Abstract Winter Wonderland Cave contains perennial ice associated with two types of cryogenic cave carbonate (CCC) formed during the freezing of water. CCCfine is characterized by relatively high δ13C values, whereas CCCcoarse exhibits notably low δ18O values indicating precipitation under (semi)clo...

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Main Authors: Jeffrey Munroe, Kristin Kimble, Christoph Spötl, Gabriela Serrato Marks, David McGee, David Herron
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2021-03-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85658-9
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spelling doaj-1d788e0d29c04bf795b7aabfe4c90d612021-03-21T12:38:54ZengNature Publishing GroupScientific Reports2045-23222021-03-011111910.1038/s41598-021-85658-9Cryogenic cave carbonate and implications for thawing permafrost at Winter Wonderland Cave, Utah, USAJeffrey Munroe0Kristin Kimble1Christoph Spötl2Gabriela Serrato Marks3David McGee4David Herron5Geology Department, Middlebury CollegeGeology Department, Middlebury CollegeInstitute of Geology, University of InnsbruckDepartment of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUSDA-Forest Service, Ashley National ForestAbstract Winter Wonderland Cave contains perennial ice associated with two types of cryogenic cave carbonate (CCC) formed during the freezing of water. CCCfine is characterized by relatively high δ13C values, whereas CCCcoarse exhibits notably low δ18O values indicating precipitation under (semi)closed-system conditions in a pool of residual water beneath an ice lid. Previous work has concluded that CCCcoarse forms during permafrost thaw, making the presence of this precipitate a valuable indicator of past cryospheric change. Available geochronologic evidence indicates that CCC formation in this cave is a Late Holocene or contemporary process, and field observations suggest that the cave thermal regime recently changed in a manner that permits the ingress of liquid water. This is the first documented occurence of CCCcoarse in the Western Hemisphere and one of only a few locations where these minerals have been found in association with ice. Winter Wonderland Cave is a natural laboratory for studying CCC genesis.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85658-9
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Jeffrey Munroe
Kristin Kimble
Christoph Spötl
Gabriela Serrato Marks
David McGee
David Herron
spellingShingle Jeffrey Munroe
Kristin Kimble
Christoph Spötl
Gabriela Serrato Marks
David McGee
David Herron
Cryogenic cave carbonate and implications for thawing permafrost at Winter Wonderland Cave, Utah, USA
Scientific Reports
author_facet Jeffrey Munroe
Kristin Kimble
Christoph Spötl
Gabriela Serrato Marks
David McGee
David Herron
author_sort Jeffrey Munroe
title Cryogenic cave carbonate and implications for thawing permafrost at Winter Wonderland Cave, Utah, USA
title_short Cryogenic cave carbonate and implications for thawing permafrost at Winter Wonderland Cave, Utah, USA
title_full Cryogenic cave carbonate and implications for thawing permafrost at Winter Wonderland Cave, Utah, USA
title_fullStr Cryogenic cave carbonate and implications for thawing permafrost at Winter Wonderland Cave, Utah, USA
title_full_unstemmed Cryogenic cave carbonate and implications for thawing permafrost at Winter Wonderland Cave, Utah, USA
title_sort cryogenic cave carbonate and implications for thawing permafrost at winter wonderland cave, utah, usa
publisher Nature Publishing Group
series Scientific Reports
issn 2045-2322
publishDate 2021-03-01
description Abstract Winter Wonderland Cave contains perennial ice associated with two types of cryogenic cave carbonate (CCC) formed during the freezing of water. CCCfine is characterized by relatively high δ13C values, whereas CCCcoarse exhibits notably low δ18O values indicating precipitation under (semi)closed-system conditions in a pool of residual water beneath an ice lid. Previous work has concluded that CCCcoarse forms during permafrost thaw, making the presence of this precipitate a valuable indicator of past cryospheric change. Available geochronologic evidence indicates that CCC formation in this cave is a Late Holocene or contemporary process, and field observations suggest that the cave thermal regime recently changed in a manner that permits the ingress of liquid water. This is the first documented occurence of CCCcoarse in the Western Hemisphere and one of only a few locations where these minerals have been found in association with ice. Winter Wonderland Cave is a natural laboratory for studying CCC genesis.
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85658-9
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