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UID:pretalx-nss-convention-2026-WBPC8W@talks.caving.dev
DTSTART;TZID=EST:20260710T110000
DTEND;TZID=EST:20260710T112000
DESCRIPTION:Understanding how ventilation and sources interact to regulate 
 cave gas concentrations is key to explaining radon and CO2 variability wit
 hin cave systems\, with broader implications for interpreting paleoclimate
  records\, speleogenesis patterns\, and human health. Surface weather driv
 es cave air circulation\, playing a central role in shaping the cave envir
 onment by influencing gas transport.\n\nThis study investigates gas dynami
 cs in Carlsbad Cavern\, which exhibits two distinct airflow mechanisms: ba
 rometric airflow and circulating convective airflow. To investigate how th
 ese ventilation processes impact gas dynamics\, we measured CO2 and radon 
 concentrations at high temporal resolution alongside airflow velocity\, ba
 rometric pressure\, temperature\, and relative humidity at six sites withi
 n the cavern. A simple gas transfer model was applied to quantify decrease
 s in CO2 during active convective circulation and evaluate whether it accu
 rately captures gas exchange between the surface and subsurface through a 
 convection cell.\n\nThe model reasonably fits the data during the onset of
  convection\, suggesting that gas exchange occurs over a timescale of days
 \, with tourists likely being the main source of CO2. A more isolated cave
  site yields an exchange timescale of approximately one month. The model w
 as also adapted for radioactive gas transfer and applied to observed radon
  declines to assess whether it accurately estimates gas exchange via conve
 ction. As radon and CO2 originate from different sources\, synchronized pa
 tterns at a given site\, particularly concentration decreases\, indicate t
 hat ventilation is the primary control over both gases. Divergent patterns
  indicate the sources of gases are the key driver of concentration variabi
 lity.
DTSTAMP:20260826T232115Z
LOCATION:Auditorium
SUMMARY:Understanding the variability in gas concentrations of Carlsbad Cav
 ern - 
URL:https://talks.caving.dev/nss-convention-2026/talk/WBPC8W/
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