Methodological approaches to survey complex ice cave environments - the case of Dobšiná (Slovakia)

IntroductionDobšiná Ice Cave (Slovakia) has attracted the attention of many researchers since its discovery more than 150 years ago. Although the cave is located outside the high-mountain area, it hosts one of the largest volumes of underground perennial ice. The topographic mapping of this unique U...

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Main Authors: Katarína Pukanská, Karol Bartoš, Juraj Gašinec, Roman Pašteka, Pavol Zahorec, Juraj Papčo, Pavel Bella, Erik Andrássy, Laura Dušeková, Diana Bobíková, Ľubomír Kseňak
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-12-01
Series:Frontiers in Environmental Science
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1484169/full
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author Katarína Pukanská
Karol Bartoš
Juraj Gašinec
Roman Pašteka
Pavol Zahorec
Juraj Papčo
Pavel Bella
Pavel Bella
Erik Andrássy
Laura Dušeková
Diana Bobíková
Ľubomír Kseňak
author_facet Katarína Pukanská
Karol Bartoš
Juraj Gašinec
Roman Pašteka
Pavol Zahorec
Juraj Papčo
Pavel Bella
Pavel Bella
Erik Andrássy
Laura Dušeková
Diana Bobíková
Ľubomír Kseňak
author_sort Katarína Pukanská
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionDobšiná Ice Cave (Slovakia) has attracted the attention of many researchers since its discovery more than 150 years ago. Although the cave is located outside the high-mountain area, it hosts one of the largest volumes of underground perennial ice. The topographic mapping of this unique UNESCO Natural Heritage site has led to several historical surveys. In the last decades of rapid climate change, this natural formation has been subject to rapid changes that are dynamically affecting the shape of the ice body. Increased precipitation, the rise in year-round surface temperatures, and the gravity cause significant shape changes in the ice filling.MethodsThis paper describes modern technological tools to comprehensively survey and evaluate interannual changes in both the floor and wall of the underground ice body. Technologies such as digital photogrammetry, in combination with precise digital tacheometry and terrestrial laser scanning, make it possible to detect ice accumulation and loss, including the effect of sublimation due to airflow, as well as sliding movements of the ice body to the lower part of the cave. To get a comprehensive model of the ice volume, geophysical methods (microgravimetry and ground penetrating radar) have been added to determine the thickness of the floor ice in the upper parts of the cave in the last 2 years.ResultsBetween 2018 and 2023, the ice volume in certain sections of the cave decreased by up to 667 m³, with notable reductions in ice thickness ranging from 0.3 to 0.9 m in areas like the Small Hall and Collapsed Dome. The study also detected dynamic changes, such as the widening of the ice tunnel by 20 cm in some sections, and a vertical ice wall in Ruffinyi’s Corridor showed localized volume losses up to 9 m3 (between 2018 and 2023). Additional geophysical methods - microgravimetry and ground penetrating radar - revealed an average ice thickness ranging from 10 to 25 m.DiscussionThe paper not only highlights the current technological possibilities but also points out the limitations of these technologies and then sets out solutions with a proposal of technological procedures for obtaining accurate geodetic and geophysical data.
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spelling doaj-art-243e583f67774e9dbbb31e35efeea1632025-08-20T01:56:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2024-12-011210.3389/fenvs.2024.14841691484169Methodological approaches to survey complex ice cave environments - the case of Dobšiná (Slovakia)Katarína Pukanská0Karol Bartoš1Juraj Gašinec2Roman Pašteka3Pavol Zahorec4Juraj Papčo5Pavel Bella6Pavel Bella7Erik Andrássy8Laura Dušeková9Diana Bobíková10Ľubomír Kseňak11Institute of Geodesy Cartography and GIS, Technical University of Košice, Košice, SlovakiaInstitute of Geodesy Cartography and GIS, Technical University of Košice, Košice, SlovakiaDepartment of Geodesy and Mine Surveying, Faculty of Mining and Geology, VŠB Technical University Ostrava, Ostrava, CzechiaDepartment of Engineering Geology, Hydrogeology and Applied Geophysics, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, SlovakiaEarth Science Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Banská Bystrica, SlovakiaDepartment of Theoretical Geodesy and Geoinformatics, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Bratislava, SlovakiaResearch and Monitoring Department, Slovak Caves Administration, Liptovský Mikuláš, SlovakiaDepartment of Geography, Faculty of Education, Cave Protection Branch, Catholic University in Ružomberok, Ružomberok, SlovakiaDepartment of Engineering Geology, Hydrogeology and Applied Geophysics, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, SlovakiaResearch and Monitoring Department, Slovak Caves Administration, Liptovský Mikuláš, SlovakiaInstitute of Geodesy Cartography and GIS, Technical University of Košice, Košice, SlovakiaInstitute of Geodesy Cartography and GIS, Technical University of Košice, Košice, SlovakiaIntroductionDobšiná Ice Cave (Slovakia) has attracted the attention of many researchers since its discovery more than 150 years ago. Although the cave is located outside the high-mountain area, it hosts one of the largest volumes of underground perennial ice. The topographic mapping of this unique UNESCO Natural Heritage site has led to several historical surveys. In the last decades of rapid climate change, this natural formation has been subject to rapid changes that are dynamically affecting the shape of the ice body. Increased precipitation, the rise in year-round surface temperatures, and the gravity cause significant shape changes in the ice filling.MethodsThis paper describes modern technological tools to comprehensively survey and evaluate interannual changes in both the floor and wall of the underground ice body. Technologies such as digital photogrammetry, in combination with precise digital tacheometry and terrestrial laser scanning, make it possible to detect ice accumulation and loss, including the effect of sublimation due to airflow, as well as sliding movements of the ice body to the lower part of the cave. To get a comprehensive model of the ice volume, geophysical methods (microgravimetry and ground penetrating radar) have been added to determine the thickness of the floor ice in the upper parts of the cave in the last 2 years.ResultsBetween 2018 and 2023, the ice volume in certain sections of the cave decreased by up to 667 m³, with notable reductions in ice thickness ranging from 0.3 to 0.9 m in areas like the Small Hall and Collapsed Dome. The study also detected dynamic changes, such as the widening of the ice tunnel by 20 cm in some sections, and a vertical ice wall in Ruffinyi’s Corridor showed localized volume losses up to 9 m3 (between 2018 and 2023). Additional geophysical methods - microgravimetry and ground penetrating radar - revealed an average ice thickness ranging from 10 to 25 m.DiscussionThe paper not only highlights the current technological possibilities but also points out the limitations of these technologies and then sets out solutions with a proposal of technological procedures for obtaining accurate geodetic and geophysical data.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1484169/fullice cavecryomorphological topographytacheometryphotogrammetrylaser scanningSLAM
spellingShingle Katarína Pukanská
Karol Bartoš
Juraj Gašinec
Roman Pašteka
Pavol Zahorec
Juraj Papčo
Pavel Bella
Pavel Bella
Erik Andrássy
Laura Dušeková
Diana Bobíková
Ľubomír Kseňak
Methodological approaches to survey complex ice cave environments - the case of Dobšiná (Slovakia)
Frontiers in Environmental Science
ice cave
cryomorphological topography
tacheometry
photogrammetry
laser scanning
SLAM
title Methodological approaches to survey complex ice cave environments - the case of Dobšiná (Slovakia)
title_full Methodological approaches to survey complex ice cave environments - the case of Dobšiná (Slovakia)
title_fullStr Methodological approaches to survey complex ice cave environments - the case of Dobšiná (Slovakia)
title_full_unstemmed Methodological approaches to survey complex ice cave environments - the case of Dobšiná (Slovakia)
title_short Methodological approaches to survey complex ice cave environments - the case of Dobšiná (Slovakia)
title_sort methodological approaches to survey complex ice cave environments the case of dobsina slovakia
topic ice cave
cryomorphological topography
tacheometry
photogrammetry
laser scanning
SLAM
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1484169/full
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