Caracteres ambientales y espeleotemas de pequeño tamaño en la cavidad de Torca Marino (Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa, León, España) / Environmental characteristics and small speleothems in the Torca Marino cavity (Picos de Europa National Park, León, Spain).

  1. Rosa Blanca González-Gutiérrez 1
  2. Javier Santos-González 3
  3. Javier Cruz-De Juán 2
  4. José Antonio Guerrero-Fernández 2
  5. Michel Mendoza 2
  6. Marcos Vilariño 2
  7. Sergio Estrada 2
  8. Adrián Melón-Nava 1
  9. Amelia Gómez-Villar 1
  10. José María Redondo-Vega 1
  1. 1 Dpto. de Geografía y Geología, Universidad de León
  2. 2 Grupo Espeleológico Matallana (GEM)
  3. 3 Universidad de León. Departamento de Geografía y Geología
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Journal:
Ería

ISSN: 2660-7018

Year of publication: 2024

Volume: 44

Issue: 1/2

Pages: 5-24

Type: Article

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Abstract

In this study, temperature and humidity data obtained between 2018 and 2020 at different depths (entrance, -350 m, -450 m and -680 m) in the Torca Marino cavity (Picos de Europa National Park, León) are presented. This cave is one of the deepest in the world, with a total depth of -943 m. The data show an interior temperature of 4.6 ºC at -350 m, between 4.7 and 5.1 ºC at -450 m and 4.8 ºC at -680 m, with an always saturated environment and homothermal conditions, although with small fluctuations of up to 0.4 ºC in the Gran Mulata sector, with a very low temperature gradient (0.06 ºC every 100 m) between the different depths. These values are similar to temperature at the altitude of the cave entrance, estimated at 4,9 ºC. The passage of the cavers also had an impact on the temperatures recorded, which rose by 0.5 ºC to return to their normal values. Saturated conditions have favoured the development of speleothems, which occur only in horizontal galleries, that are separated by vertical conduits. Helictites, frostworks, collaroids, micro-hoodoos, cave pearls and parallel-columnar aggregates are the main speleothems, which are relevant due to their notable development and excellent degree of preservation. In the case of micro-faerie chimneys, any previous citations have been found in the interior of the cavities.