Karst and caves in the Bihor Mountains - ITIM

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shaft is covered with a thick layer of snow, which does notmelt even in the hottest summers.Fig. 5. Map (plan and profile) of the Scărişoara Ice Cave.The cave was believed to develop in massive reeflimestone of Ladinian (Middle Triassic) age. The authorsestimated the age of the limestone by using paleontologicaland structural elements. BUCUR & ONAC (2000) haverecently sampled the limestone in different point of the caveand studied by means of microfacies. The association ischaracteristic for the Upper Jurassic, most probably LowerTithonic.The cave entrance is located in the western wall of theshaft and has an imposing arch 24 m high and 17 m wide.Beyond is the “Sala Mare’s” (Big Room’s) ice floor, a 3,000m 2 perfectly horizontal surface, with just four massive conicice formations. One is on the left side and the other threeare attached to each other near the wall opposite to thecave entrance. Usually, these form large ice columns.
During springtime, ice stalactites form on the room’s ceiling,but their existence is ephemeral.To the north, there is a second opening towards thesurface Towards the NW, the horizontal floor ends with asteep slope dipping 8 m that can be descended by stepscarved into the ice leading into a second room. Localresidents have named this area “Biserica” (The Church).Here, ice speleothems dominate the underground scenery.On sunny days, the tips of the stalagmites shine in thereflected light from the snow accumulated at the bottom ofthe shaft, creating the impression of gigantic lightedcandles. The “Biserica” continues with a narrow sidepassage lacking ice formations. At its end is a successionof three small circular-shaped cavities with walls bearingtraces of water flow.Another ice slope can be descended on the left side ofthe Sala Mare before entering the “Biserica”. At its base, anarrow space between the glacier and the cave’s limestonewall (crevice) formed due to wall’s higher temperature.The shaft, the Sala Mare, and the “Biserica“ are parts ofthe tourist section of the cave and are toured without cavinggear. On the other two sides of the Sala Mare, the spacebetween the ice and the limestone walls allows access intothe deep parts of the cave that have been declaredscientific reserves. Visiting these areas requires a minimumof underground climbing experience, as both passages areeither vertical or almost vertical cliffs.The Rezervaţia Mică (Small Reserve) is on the northernside of the Sala Mare and can be entered by descending a15 m vertical cliff (Fig. 5A), along which the ice stratificationis visible. Two other crevices form at the side edges of theice cliff near the limestone walls, which both descendsteeply and almost reach the base of the ice block. In thecentral part of the room, not far from the ice block, a field ofice stalagmites forms. They differ from the ice stalagmitesfound in the “Biserica” in that they do not appear as massifs
Page 1 and 2: European Society for Isotope Resear
Page 3 and 4: and which drains the northeastern p
Page 5 and 6: values were measured in combination
Page 7 and 8: Each block contains is own karst aq
Page 9: through the entrance shaft, as one
Page 13 and 14: in the non-glaciated parts of the c
Page 15 and 16: limestone or through the chimney lo
Page 17 and 18: also a large selection of calcite s
Page 19 and 20: • The water infiltrating from the
Page 21 and 22: Fig. 7. Evolution of Urşilor Cave

Karst and caves in the Bihor Mountains - ITIM

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