Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
HESS
Articles | Volume 28, issue 17
Articles | Volume 28, issue 17
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4035-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4035-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 28, issue 17
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
04 Sep 2024
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 04 Sep 2024

Mesoscale permeability variations estimated from natural airflows in the decorated Cosquer Cave (southeastern France)

Hugo Pellet, Bruno Arfib, Pierre Henry, Stéphanie Touron, and Ghislain Gassier

Data sets

Time series of type climatology-meteorology-atmosphere in Port-Miou basin - PORT-MIOU observatory -- KARST observatory network - OZCAR Critical Zone network Research Infrastructure SNO KARST https://doi.org/10.15148/4140d06c-fa31-4b4c-8c0f-38e6d0c62fbc

Model code and software

Mesoscale permeability variations Hugo Pellet https://gitlab.osupytheas.fr/hpellet/chapitre-3-mesoscale-permeability-variations

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Executive editor
The subject of the paper is well outside the mainstream, and interesting for its methodological approach, the way it connects cave hydrology to air permeability of sedimentary rock, and the relevance for the protection (or lack thereof) of prehistoric cave art.
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Short summary
Conservation of decorated caves is highly dependent on airflows and is correlated with rock formation permeability. We present the first conceptual model of flows around the Paleolithic decorated Cosquer coastal cave (southeastern France), quantify air permeability, and show how its variation affects water levels inside the cave. This study highlights that airflows may change in karst unsaturated zones in response to changes in the water cycle and may thus be affected by climate change.
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