Caving Paleontology

The rocks of interest to the caver primarily are of sedimentary origin, especially carbonate rocks. In most cases, these rocks have an organic origin: they are the detritus of shells and other animal parts or marine plants, accumulated at the bottom of ancient seas, more rarely ancient lakes that have now disappeared.

These rocks are limestone masses that are of importance and extend far above the carbonate rocks of chemical origin. They are identifiable, even to the layman, by the evidence and the regularity of their stratification.

The conservation status of the remains of bodies that have contributed to their formation is highly variable. Rocks called ‘fossils’ show remnants, clearly identifiable to the naked eye, animal or plant fossils. Very frequently, with the aid of a microscope, one can also detect very small fossils in the limestone where no organic structure can be noticed with the naked eye.

At other times, the mechanical or chemical processes have eliminated more or less completely in the footsteps of the original organic structure; called process of diagenesis, dissolution and partial recrystallization, occurred during or shortly after the filing of material sediment.

This transformation can be very extensive and lead to complete recrystallization, to transform the whole rock into a crystalline mass. During the course of a gallery tomb, we often find embedded in the walls, the remains of shells of gastropods, bivalves and other marine fossils or lake.

Meteorology tomb

The tomb meteorology is the study of climate caves and all the phenomena that determine it. Although the environmental study is limited in size, climate studies of tombs are difficult because of the low ranges of parameters studied. For example, while the outside temperature varies from one place of several degrees or tens of degrees, that of a cavity does not change frequently.

Measurements should be made with great precision, taking care of extraneous influences. These considerations remain valid for other parameters such as pressure, humidity, air movement etc. The objective of meteorological research hypogea is twofold – to increase knowledge of the subsurface environment known – and to discover parts unknown or unattainable. Early reports are primarily for biologists interested in the conditions of underground life.

The latter information is relevant to the caver, who hopes to learn more about the unknown parts of the cave. Indeed, they used the movement of air to detect the presence of large volumes not yet penetrated. Also temperature changes during progression to detect the presence of branches.

Temperature

The temperature measurement is now using digital thermometers, displaying the tenth degree, precise and compact.