Reconstructing fluvial incision rates based upon palaeo‐water tables in Chalk karst networks along the Seine valley (Normandy, France)

Quantifying rates of river incision and continental uplift over Quaternary timescales offer the potential for modelling landscape change due to tectonic and climatic forcing. In many areas, river terraces form datable archives that help constrain the timing and rate of valley incision. However, old river terraces, with high‐level deposits, are prone to weathering and often lack datable material. Where valleys are incised through karst areas, caves and sediments can be used to reconstruct the landscape evolution because they can record the elevation of palaeo‐water tables and contain preserved datable material. In Normandy (N. France), the Seine River is entrenched into an extensive karstic chalk plateau. Previous estimates of valley incision were hampered by the lack of preserved datable fluvial terraces. A stack of abandoned phreatic cave passages preserved in the sides of the Seine valley can be used to reconstruct the landscape evolution of the region. Combining geomorphological observations, palaeomagnetic and U/Th dating of speleothem and sediments in eight caves along the Lower Seine valley, we have constructed a new age model for cave development and valley incision. Six identified cave levels up to ∼100 m a.s.l. were formed during the last ~1 Ma, coeval with the incision of the Seine River. Passage morphologies indicate that the caves formed in a shallow phreatic/epiphreatic setting, modified by sediment influxes. The valley's maximum age is constrained by the occurrence of late Pliocene marine sand. Palaeomagnetic dating of cave infills indicates that the highest‐level caves were being infilled prior to 1.1 Ma. The evidence from the studied caves, complemented by fluvial terrace sequences, indicates that rapid river incision occurred during marine isotope stage (MIS) 28 to 20 (0.8–1 Ma), with maximal rates of ~0.30 m ka−1, dropping to ~0.08 m ka−1 between MIS 20–11 (0.8–0.4 Ma) and 0.05 m ka−1 from MIS 5 to the present time

PROCESSOS CÁRSTICOS EM ROCHAS SILICICLÁSTICAS NA SERRA DO ESPINHAÇO MERIDIONAL-EXEMPLOS DAS ÁREAS DE DIAMANTINA E ITAMBÉ DO MATO DENTRO, MG

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Evidence of daily and seasonal inversions of airflow in Petites Dales cave, Normandy, France

A detailed study of the microclimate of Petites Dales karst cave with single-entrance is presented in this paper. Two years of cave monitoring investigate temperature, weight of water vapour and airflow distributions outside and inside the cavity to determine the global behaviour of the karst cave. In addition, daily measurements of temperature and airflow demonstrate clearly the stratification of the air and inversions of the airflow during day-time. The cave air is intensively exchanged with external air during the years, with two main modes: (i) airflow enters from the ceiling during summer period and (ii) airflow enters from the floor during winter. At the entrance, an Sshaped velocity profile was observed and far from the entrance, convection loops were observed. During the other period of the year, the airflows may switch from top to bottom or conversely. The thermodynamic conditions of switching are discussed in this paper. This study provided for the first time evidence of daily airflow inversion. Study of cave climates is required in the comprehension of cave flora and fauna, thermodynamic conditions for karst processes underground, hydrogeological features of speleothems, human impact when caves are visited.Key words: cave, microclimate, karst, airflow, temperature, variability. Dnevni in sezonski obrati smeri zračnega toka v jami Petites Dales, Normandija, Francija V članku poročamo o podrobni mikroklimatski študiji v jami Petites Dales. V jami z enim samim vhodom smo dve leti opazovali temperaturo, vlago in porazdelitev zračnih tokov. Podrobne dnevne meritve temperature in zračnega toka kažejo na stratifikacijo in dnevni obrat smeri toka. Poleti zunanji zrak vdira v jamo pri stropu, pozimi pa pri tleh. Pri tem se pri vhodu oblikuje profil hitrosti zraka v obliki črke S, globlje v jami pa konvekcijska zanka. V vmesnih obdobjih lahko pride do preklapljanja iz dotoka pod stropom v dotok pri dnu in obratno, kar v članku obravnavamo z vidika termodinamike. V tej raziskavi smo prvič pojasnili dnevne obrate smeri zraka v primerljivih jamah. Študije jamske mikroklime so pomembne za razumevanje jamskega ekosistema, procesov v jamah ter človekovega vpliva nanje.Ključne besede: jama, mikroklima, kras, zračni tok, temperatura, spremenljivost.