Stable Isotope Composition Of Perennial Ice In Caves As An Aid To Charaterizinging Ice Cave Types

Stable isotope studies of perennial ice from western North American ice caves suggest that three main types can be defined: cold trap, permafrost, and cold zone. Some complex cave systems may comprise two or more types. While 14 caves were sampled from the region, in this study, 9 definitive sites were examined in more detail where they exemplified classic perennial ice features: massive ice, hoar frost, ice stalagmites and so on. Stable isotopes of the ice (d¹⁸O and d²H) assist in the understanding the origin of the freezing moisture, whether from direct snow (cold trap), moist summer air (permafrost) or from humid air within the cave (cold zone). Furthermore, delineating the complex systematics of cave ice formation is vitally important if it is to be used (or rejected) as a proxy climate record.