Table Of ContentSpringer Theses
Recognizing Outstanding Ph.D. Research
Simone Milanolo
Sources and
Transport of
Inorganic Carbon
in the Unsaturated
Zone of Karst
Springer Theses
Recognizing Outstanding Ph.D. Research
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Simone Milanolo
Sources and Transport
of Inorganic Carbon
in the Unsaturated Zone
of Karst
Doctoral Thesis accepted by
University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia
123
Author Supervisors
Dr. Simone Milanolo Prof. FrankMcDermott
Hydro-Engineering Institute Schoolof EarthSciences, ScienceCentre
Sarajevo University CollegeDublin
BosniaandHerzegovina Belfield,Dublin4
Ireland
Prof. FranciGabrovšek
KarstResearch Institute ZRCSAZU
Postojna
Slovenia
Thesisendorsed byProf. WolfgangDreybrodt
ISSN 2190-5053 ISSN 2190-5061 (electronic)
SpringerTheses
ISBN978-3-319-29307-3 ISBN978-3-319-29308-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-29308-0
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2015960777
©SpringerInternationalPublishingSwitzerland2016
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Parts of this thesis have been published in the following journal articles:
Milanolo, S., Gabrovšek, F., 2015. Estimation of carbon dioxide flux degassing
frompercolatingwatersinakarstcave:CasestudyfromBijambarecave,Bosnia
andHerzegovina.ChemieErde—Geochemistry75(4),465–474.DOI:10.1016/j.
95chemer.2015.10.004
Milanolo, S., Gabrovšek, F., 2009. Analysis of Carbon Dioxide Variations in the
Atmosphere of Srednja Bijambarska Cave, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Boundary-Layer Meteorology 131, 479–493. DOI:10.1007/s10546-009-9375-5
Milanolo S., Mulaomerović J., 2008. Speleološka istraživanja na području
“ZaštićenogpejzažaBijambare”(Speleologicalresearchesontheterritoryofthe
“Protected landscape Bijambare”). Naš Krš 40–41, 3–24.
’
Supervisors Foreword
Karstencompassesasignificantpartofourplanet’ssurface.Thisisalargeterritory
fraction with specific hydrological conditions, morphologies, landscapes, and an
outstanding surface and underground biodiversity. It is the primary source of
drinking water for many populations worldwide and an archive of data about our
past climatic conditions which are stored layer after layer in cave stalagmites.
Inorganic carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide in the gas phase, carbonate–
bicarbonate ions in water solution, and calcium carbonate in the limestone rock, is
the key player in shaping surface and underground karst features. Mass transport
phenomena, storage, and chemical equilibriums govern the fluxes between air–
water–rockcompartmentsandalongtheverticalprofileofanidealizedkarstmassif.
This thesis provides an overview of these fluxes and the underlining governing
mechanisms linking together different scientific topics into a unique conceptual
framework. However, it provides not only a review of the existing state of the art
and available literature but also important new experimental evidence, and it
developsandtestsnewmodelingapproachestoquantifythesefluxesanddynamics.
Overall, this thesis represents a valuable reference for scholars interested in karst
and in the details of hydrology and hydrogeology, paleoclimate studies on cave
speleothems, cave climate and show cave management, and on aspects of global
carbon cycle involving the weathering of carbonate rocks.
Dublin, Ireland Prof. Frank McDermott
Postojna, Slovenia Prof. Franci Gabrovšek
January 2016
vii
Acknowledgements
ThisPh.D.wouldnotbepossiblewithoutthesupport,moreorlessformal,ofmany
organizations, colleagues, and friends. To all of them I owe a lot.
The present work and speleological researches in Bijambare region have been
started within the project lead by COOR/CESD in collaboration with Sarajevo
Šume: “Construction of Bijambare vacation complex: Phase I.” The project has
been financed by the European Community and Kanton Sarajevo. My Ph.D. study
was also co-financed by the Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.
IwouldliketothankalsotheBijambareprotectedareamanagement(JUZašticena
prirodna područja Kantona Sarajevo) and rangers for allowing to access and work
in the cave and surrounding area. Outside temperature data were obtained as part
ofthe project C6 (ClimaticChangesand Carbon Cycle inCanyonsand Caves) for
which I have to thank Paolo Madonia (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e
Vulcanologia—Palermo). Handheld carbon dioxide meter was kindly borrowed
from “Speleološka udruga Vjetrenica–Popovo polje” thanks to Ivo Lučić. Centre
for Research and Sustainable Development of Karst within the Academy of
Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina contributed by providing a field pH
meterandfewtemperatureloggers.ThedeterminationofRadonconcentrationsand
other microclimatic characteristics of the cave were possible thanks to the coop-
eration with Prof. Vanja Radolić, Department of Physics, University of Osijek;
Doc. Dalibor Paar, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of
Zagreb; and Doc. Nenad Buzjak, Department of Geography, Faculty of Science,
University ofZagreb.Isotope analysis has beenperformed byDoc. SonjaLojenat
the Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute (Ljubljana–
Slovenia).I’mgratefultotheFederalHydro-meteorologicalInstituteofBosniaand
Herzegovina for providing meteorological data from the Sarajevo station.
I’m thankful to Prof. Tarik Kupusović, director of the Hydro-Engineering Institute
Sarajevo, the place where I work, for the kind support since the very beginning of
this work, and because he allowed me to use the laboratory for all necessary
chemical analyses. I’m also grateful to all my colleagues at HEIS for the help and
fruitful discussions. A special thanks to Prof. Galiba Sijarić for the help and
ix
x Acknowledgements
enthusiasm during most of the sampling campaign. I want to especially thank
Prof. Franci Gabrovšek, Karst Research Institute (Postojna–Slovenia), and
Prof.FrankMcDermott,UniversityCollegeDublin(Dublin–Ireland),bothMentors
of this thesis, for the assistance and patience during these long years of ups and
downs.
I cannot forget to mention here the speleological groups where my passion for
underground researches matured: Gruppo Grotte Novara (Novara–Italy) and the
Centar zakršispeleologiju (Center forkarst andspeleology, formerSpeleoDodo,
Sarajevo) and especially to Cella Giandomenico and Jasminko Mulaomerović,
a kind of twin mentors for my speleological career.
I have to admit that if I arrived to these points it is mostly because my parents
neverhadanydoubtsaboutmycapacitiesandneverstopsupportingmeevenwhen
I took decisions apparently “unconventional” or I was almost ready to give up
everything. I hope I will be able to live up to their example with my young
daughters.
Last but not least, I would like to dedicate a special acknowledgement to my
wife Amila, for being the one who pushed me into and through all of this. I know
sheisthehappiestperson (afterme)knowingthatthisPh.D.isfinallyover. Atthe
very end came Nadia and Senem: I’m happy my daughters arrived just on time to
enjoy the end of this adventure.
Contents
1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Thesis Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Thesis Goals and Approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.1 Thesis Objective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.2 Project Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.3 Beneficiary Fields of Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2.4 Timeframe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.5 Spatial Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.6 Thesis Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 Thesis Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2 Site Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1 General Overview of the Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1.1 Bijambare Protected Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1.2 Geology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.1.3 Hydrology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.1.4 Climatic Characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.2 Caves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.2.1 Speleological Explorations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.2.2 Srednja Bijambarska Pećina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3 Materials and Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.2 Atmospheric Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.2.1 Cave Monitoring System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.2.2 Gemini Tinytag Data Loggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.2.3 USB Stick Sensors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.2.4 Diver and Baro Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3.2.5 Air Velocity Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.2.6 Handheld Carbon Dioxide Sensors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
xi
