Projects / Programmes
Solution pipes as a novel palaeoclimate proxy
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.12.00 |
Humanities |
Geography |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.07 |
Social Sciences |
Social and economic geography |
Focused flow, reactive flow, dissolution, solution pipe, paleoenvironment, paleoclimate, karst, numerical modelling, fluid dynamics, porous media, geomorphology, physical geography
Data for the last 5 years (citations for the last 10 years) on
November 29, 2023;
A3 for period
2017-2021
Data for ARIS tenders (
04.04.2019 – Programme tender,
archive
)
| Database |
Linked records |
Citations |
Pure citations |
Average pure citations |
| WoS |
173 |
1,751 |
1,379 |
7.97 |
| Scopus |
283 |
2,737 |
2,044 |
7.22 |
Researchers (9)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The climate of our planet is constantly evolving. Understanding the dynamics of these changes is important not only for reconstruction of the climatic conditions of past epochs but also for better prediction of climatic changed in near future. The latter becomes increasingly important due to the dramatic acceleration of climate changes in recent years. In our project, we propose to use surface karst structures called solution pipes as paleoclimate proxies. Solution pipes are vertical or nearly vertical, paraboloidal or cylindrical forms, found in many karst areas of porous carbonate rocks with matrix porosity around the world. They are formed as a result of focused water flow into the rock matrix. The focusing of the flow is followed by enhanced dissolution, which transforms initial inhomogeneities into mature pipes. This opens up a possibility of linking the morphology of the pipes with geology and hydrology of the system at the moment of their formation and – most importantly - with past climatic conditions. The aim of the proposed project is to define focused water flow in carbonates with matrix porosity as a novel palaeoenvironmental proxy by constructing a combined geo-numerical model of solution pipe formation. The shapes, lengths and spatial distribution of the pipes are the functions of physical conditions in which they were formed. The two most important factors here are the flow rate of water and temperature. This means, however, that by analysis of the shapes of the pipes we can infer the climatic conditions prevailing during their formation. The establishment of such a relationship is the goal of the present project. This task requires close collaboration between the geomorphologists (Slovenian team) and physicists (Polish team). The geoscientists will carry out the field studies of solution pipes, which will be the basis for experimental and numerical modeling and paleoclimate reconstruction. The physicists, on the other hand, will use numerical models and laboratory-scale experiments to determine the link between the environmental conditions and morphological features of the pipes which form under such conditions. The conclusions of these studies will be verified by comparison with the results of other paleoclimate reconstruction techniques, e.g., stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from stalagmites, geological sedimentary drills and advances and retreats of glaciers. A particularly important role in our research plan will be played by the laboratory experiments, the goal of which is the direct observation of formation and growth of solution pipes in the laboratory conditions. The experiments will allow us to test the theoretical models of solution pipe formation, they will also serve as benchmarks to validate numerical simulations.
