Observations on the corrosion potential in alpine caves

• Published in: Bulletin (Société géographique de Liège) Vol. 29
• Main Author: Pavuza, R. (Museum of Natural History, Vienna (Austria). Karstund Hoehlenkundliche Abteilung)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Liege (Belgium) La Societe Geographique de Liege 1993; Université de Liège
• Subjects: AGUAS SUBTERRANEAS; AUSTRIA; AUTRICHE; CARBONATE; CARBONATOS; CLIMA DE MONTANA; CLIMAT DE MONTAGNE; COMPOSICION QUIMICA; COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE; CORROSION; DIOXIDO DE CARBONO; DIOXYDE DE CARBONE; DISOLUCION; DISSOLUTION; EAU SOUTERRAINE; ECHANTILLONNAGE; KARST; MODELE LINEAIRE; MODELOS LINEALES; MUESTREO; TEMPERATURA; TEMPERATURE
• ISBN: 2872980040; 9782872980048
• ISSN: 0770-7576; 2507-0711

Several hundreds of water samples have been collected in Austrian alpine caves. It was possible to differientiate between karst waters in common sense and condensing waters. Due to lower temperatures at higher elevations the soil-biological activity is decreasing, hypercompensating the higher solubility of CO2. Therefore, the carbonate dissolution is lower. The opposite effect can be observed with the condensing waters as there is a higher uptake of CO2 during condensation according to lower condensing temperatures in high alpine caves. Thus the mineralisation of condensing waters tends to increase with altitude. As the dissolution of common karst waters is more than compensated by the increase of precipitation with altitude, it can be concluded on the whole that a higher carbonate-dissolution is currently taking place in high alpine karst regions.