Hidden Earth 2024
The Mulu caves just keep on getting bigger… Biogenic subaerial dissolution by nitrification in the Caves of Gunung Mulu National Park, Borneo.
30 minute Lecture|Andy Farrant
Abstract
The Gunung Mulu National Park is well known for its spectacular caves including the >250 km long Clearwater Cave system. Recent expeditions have identified many unusual geomorphological features in the caves that don’t fit with traditional views of cave development. They suggest that the caves may continue to enlarge even after abandonment by the formative rivers. These unusual passage morphologies include enormous ceiling scallops, corroded speleothems, areas of spongework, corrosion residues and alteration crusts.
We suggest these are due to secondary sub-aerial biogenic dissolution. We propose that microbial metabolism within the nitrogen-rich bird and bat guano found in the caves may be responsible for this secondary dissolution. This biogenic activity significantly alters cave passage geomorphology in tropical caves and has implications for how we interpret cave passages. This talk will examine the evidence for this biogenic dissolution and suggest a novel mechanism for speleogenesis based on ammonia nitrification.
More from 2024
Lecture|Joerg Dreybrodt
Lava Caves in the Eastern Rift Valley in Kenya
Lecture|Paul Taylor
Forest of Dean Round Up
Film|Colin Boothroyd
The best of Cave 84, 85 and 86
Lecture|Simon James Brooks
Peak District Update 2023-2024 (AKA Pissing around in the Peaks 2023 to 2024)
Lecture|Frank Pearson
Northern Round-Up
Lecture|Peter Talling
The Remote Pico del Oro Plateau in North Peru: Searching for Caves in 2,800m Deep Limestone
Lecture|Tim Allen
Mulu, the longer journey to Benarat
Lecture|Tim Nichols
Major Extensions in Redhouse Lane Swallet
Lecture|Rostam Namaghi
Gourgouthakas: A Resurvey
Lecture|Andrew Mcleod
The Dachstein Caving Expedition