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Featured articles from Cave & Karst Science Journals
Characterization of minothems at Libiola (NW Italy): morphological, mineralogical, and geochemical study, Carbone Cristina; Dinelli Enrico; De Waele Jo
Chemistry and Karst, White, William B.
The karst paradigm: changes, trends and perspectives, Klimchouk, Alexander
Long-term erosion rate measurements in gypsum caves of Sorbas (SE Spain) by the Micro-Erosion Meter method, Sanna, Laura; De Waele, Jo; Calaforra, José Maria; Forti, Paolo
The use of damaged speleothems and in situ fault displacement monitoring to characterise active tectonic structures: an example from Zapadni Cave, Czech Republic , Briestensky, Milos; Stemberk, Josef; Rowberry, Matt D.;
Featured articles from other Geoscience Journals
Karst environment, Culver D.C.
Mushroom Speleothems: Stromatolites That Formed in the Absence of Phototrophs, Bontognali, Tomaso R.R.; D’Angeli Ilenia M.; Tisato, Nicola; Vasconcelos, Crisogono; Bernasconi, Stefano M.; Gonzales, Esteban R. G.; De Waele, Jo
Calculating flux to predict future cave radon concentrations, Rowberry, Matt; Marti, Xavi; Frontera, Carlos; Van De Wiel, Marco; Briestensky, Milos
Microbial mediation of complex subterranean mineral structures, Tirato, Nicola; Torriano, Stefano F.F;, Monteux, Sylvain; Sauro, Francesco; De Waele, Jo; Lavagna, Maria Luisa; D’Angeli, Ilenia Maria; Chailloux, Daniel; Renda, Michel; Eglinton, Timothy I.; Bontognali, Tomaso Renzo Rezio
Evidence of a plate-wide tectonic pressure pulse provided by extensometric monitoring in the Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria), Briestensky, Milos; Rowberry, Matt; Stemberk, Josef; Stefanov, Petar; Vozar, Jozef; Sebela, Stanka; Petro, Lubomir; Bella, Pavel; Gaal, Ludovit; Ormukov, Cholponbek;
NSS
Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, 2009, Vol 71, Issue 1, p. 100-107
The legend of carbon dioxide heaviness
Badino G.
Abstract:
The false legend of carbon dioxide traps resulting from the weight of carbon dioxide gas is disproved. In spite of water-vapor lightness in comparison with air, no water-vapor trap exists on cave ceilings. In fact, underground atmospheres with specific compositions are not related to gravity, but to the absence of any air movement around the gas sources. The process of double diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide during organic compound decomposition in still air is shown to be significant. This phenomenon can form atmospheres that are deadly due to oxygen deficiencies and poisonous because of excess carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide storage behaves like a liquid and can flow or can be poured, as cold air can, but these are typical transient processes with no relation to a cave’s foul air formation.
The false legend of carbon dioxide traps resulting from the weight of carbon dioxide gas is disproved. In spite of water-vapor lightness in comparison with air, no water-vapor trap exists on cave ceilings. In fact, underground atmospheres with specific compositions are not related to gravity, but to the absence of any air movement around the gas sources. The process of double diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide during organic compound decomposition in still air is shown to be significant. This phenomenon can form atmospheres that are deadly due to oxygen deficiencies and poisonous because of excess carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide storage behaves like a liquid and can flow or can be poured, as cold air can, but these are typical transient processes with no relation to a cave’s foul air formation.