We were recently asked by @theconversationau to write an article about our recent research on the decline in groundwater replenishment in SW Western Australia, and how it is unprecedented in the last 800 years.

That article has just gone live here:
https://theconversation.com/decades-of-less-rainfall-have-cut-replenishing-of-groundwater-to-800-year-low-in-wa-208751

#rain #groundwater #climate #water #caves #stalagmites #australia #science #geology #environment

Here's what has been happening in the SW corner of Australia over recent decades.

The #stalagmites in the caves have changed in their oxygen isotope composition.

This oxygen comes originally from the oxygen in the #rain water, but that hasn't changed over time. So the stalagmites are telling us that there has been a change in how that water gets underground. We provide evidence that this is due to decreased rainfall.

Hydrology models show that #soil water content has also decreased, #rainfall amount is decreasing and #groundwater levels are falling.

All of this is attributed to #climate change, as the westerly circulation that brings rain to these latitudes gradually moves south.

#climatechange #hydrology #caves #geology #environment #science

Nicely led by
@michcampbell 👍

Why use stalagmites as archives of past fires you might ask?

Well, stalagmites often contain annual laminae, so you can count back time at high precision.

Which means you can develop very long records of fire frequency, something difficult to do in other fire archives.

And that allows interesting and important research questions to be tackled. Such as the most appropriate fire frequency for hazard reduction burns. Or whether fire frequency has changed with climate change.

The link to the paper (Open Access):

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2022RG000790

#science #research #fire #wildfire #climatechange #caves #stalagmites #earthscience #academia #geochemistry

I am here analysing samples in the hunt for #fire events. Key steps are Sr maps so we can build precise chronologies in our annually laminated samples, and maps of metals, because they're not always distributed evenly across growth layers. Here we can see spotty iron distribution in the sample. #Speleothems #Stalagmites #palaeoclimate #xrays

I accidentally made some art this week when I scanned a REALLY translucent thick section using transmitted light. I love it, it feels very noir to me. #stalagmites #accidentalArt

There's something soothing about polishing rocks. Gave some samples a touch-up ahead of a trip to the Synchrotron next week for some fun on the XFM line. Look at the shine! #palaeoClimate #Speleothems #Stalagmites #AustralianSynchrotron #Shiny

R.J. Jr. in The Underground Underground - Page 8
https://www.isleofelsi.com/comics/ioe7/page-295/

The ites have finally arrived!

#fantasy #middlegrade #webcomic #comicsforkids #kidscomics #allages #stalagmites #stalactites

Do you ever wonder why #Neanderthals disappeared?

It looks like #char from ancient fires and #stalagmites in caves hold important clues. Researchers @Unibo & @ULL use 🆕 techniques for new results.

👉 https://bit.ly/3Yp5WoH

#geochemistry #ethnoarchaeology #paleoanthropology

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/ERC_Research/status/1604768992404832256

And if anyone is interested in the world of caves, stalagmites and climate, here are the links to the whole of the session. Even if you aren't registered, I believe you can read the abstracts:

Online PP11B poster session:
Monday 08:00-09:00 (CST), Online
Schedule: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm22/meetingapp.cgi/Session/174723

In person PP22A oral session:
Tuesday 09:00-10:30 (CST), McCormick Place - S405a (South, Level 4)
Schedule: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm22/meetingapp.cgi/Session/174716

In person PP25C poster session:
Tuesday 14:45-18:15 (CST), McCormick Place - Poster Hall, Hall A (South, Level 3)
Schedule: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm22/meetingapp.cgi/Session/158058

#AGU22 #caves #stalagmites #speleothems #climate #geochemistry #isotopes

Next week we have a poster of our latest research at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (#AGU22).

What are we presenting about? Our use of stalagmites as archives of past fires

Why use stalagmites? They have a very high resolution, meaning that we can count annual growth layers and identify the frequency of fires in the past.

How do we do it? We detect the ash-derived elements that are transported from the surface to the cave in drip waters

And the poster? Is about how the oxygen and carbon isotope composition of stalagmites is also affected by fires

For anyone interested, here's the session details:

Quantifying the fire imprint in speleothem oxygen and carbon isotope records
Final Paper Number: PP25C-0894
Tuesday, December 13th; 2:45 PM - 6:15 PM (Chicago time)
Location:  online iPoster  and Zoom link

There's a copy of the poster below.

#fire #stalagmites #caves #science #environment #earthscience #academia #unsw #ansto

This seems such as wonderful place. This is my #introduction:

I'm an academic, with teaching and research interests in #environmental #earth #science.

Current research projects include reconstructing #fire history records from #cave #stalagmites. And monitoring #groundwater #recharge in underground spaces to work out how much rainfall is needed to replenish this water resource.

I work at #UNSW in #Sydney, Australia.

I am a 'first-gen', Gen X, UK ex-pat, Australian, fun runner, and lover of #music, #spaceopera and #cricket.

@honolivier #Stalagmites

[#BotActu] « Top 23 des grottes, dans les entrailles de la Terre » https://www.futura-sciences.com/planete/photos/terre-top-23-grottes-entrailles-terre-1077/ #grottedesdemoiselles #formationdesgrottes #cavitésouterraine #rochescarbonatées #grottedeclamouse #zoneskarstiques #grottedeniaux #rochecalcaire #stalagmites #stalagtite #calcaire #cavernes #grottes #cavité #terre

An article that looks at how the fascinating shapes of stalagmites can form from something as simple as how far drops of water fall.

#Caves #Stalagmites #Physics #FluidDynamics #Research

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/27/science/stalagmites-physics-caves.html

Aux alentours du village de #Bruniquel dans le #TarnEtGaronne, il y a une grotte. Une très ancienne grotte.

Et dans cette grotte il y a un cercle de #stalagmites brisées, un très très vieux cercle de stalagmites. Vieux de 170.000 ans.

À cette époque très reculée, ce cercle ne peut pas être l’œuvre de l'Homme, ou plutôt il n'est pas l’œuvre d'Homo Sapiens mais de son cousin, Homo Neanderthalensis.

#PlongéeDansLAbîmeDuTemps

🔸 https://youtu.be/UpJ9bArJSXA