DE WAELE , Jo

Caves formed by rising sulfuric waters have been described from all over the world in a wide variety of climate settings, from arid regions to mid-latitude and alpine areas. H2S is generally formed at depth by reduction of sulfates in the presence of hydrocarbons and is transported in solution through the deep aquifers. In tectonically...

Val di Scerscen is located in the Central Italian Alps (Northern Lombardy), in the scenic setting of Valmalenco. This area is not very rich in caves, especially due to the abundant presence of oceanic metamorphic rocks, which where uplifted during the Alpine orogenesis, dominate the terrains. A thin lens of whitish dolomitic marbles belonging...

Many caves in Sicily have been shown to have a sulfuric acid or other hypogenic origin. We studied three caves (Palombara, Scrivilleri, Monello) near Syracuse (eastern Sicily), in an area that was strongly uplioed and faulted, creaKng mulKple Pleistocene marine terraces. Mineralogy, stable isotopes and daKng methods (paleomagneKsm, U/Th) were...

Many caves in Sicily have been shown to have a sulfuric acid or other hypogenic origin. We studied three caves (Palombara, Scrivilleri, Monello) near Syracuse (eastern Sicily), in an area that was strongly uplioed and faulted, creaKng mulKple Pleistocene marine terraces. Mineralogy, stable isotopes and daKng methods (paleomagneKsm, U/Th) were...

The Toirano karst system is located in the Ligurian Alps, in the dolostones of Middle Triassic age, around 4.5 km inland from the coast (Borghetto Santo Spirito). It comprises different caves, among which the most important are, from the higher altitudes to the Varatella brook below, Colombo Cave (247 m asl), Upper Santa Lucia (215 m asl),...

Guano is a typical deposit found in caves derived from the excretions of bats and in minor cases of birds. These organic deposits decompose and form a series of acid fluids and gases that can interact with the minerals, sediments, and rocks present in the cave. Over sixty phosphates are known and described from caves, but guano decay also often...