Speleothems (cave dripstones) are formed as a part of the meteoric water cycle and therefore vari ations in their growth rate and composition reflect environmental changes on the land surface above the cave. Since they are continental deposits, and possess a remarkably accurate dating potential, using TIMS U-series techniques, speleothems are important palaeoclimatic archives for the terrestrial environment, complementing the marine and ice-core records. The climatic proxies that can be deciphered from speleothems are growth rate, stable isotope composition (d18O, d13C), organic (humic) matter and trace element composition, as well as luminescent laminae, which may display annual rhythms. The nine papers in this special issue ofTheHolocene present the latest results in palaeoclimatic analysis from speleothems.
Baker, A. , Barnes, W.L. and Smart, P.L.1997: Variations in the dis-charge and organic matter content of stalagmite dripwaters in Lower Cave, Bristol . Hydrological Processes11, 1541–1555 .
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Baker, A. , Genty, D. , Dreybrodt, W. , Barnes, W.L. , Mockler, N.J. and Grapes, J.1998: Testing theoretically predicted stalagmite growth rate with recent annually laminated samples: implications for past stalagmite deposition . Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta62, 393–404 .
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Folk, R. and Assereto, R.1976: Comparative fabrics of length-slow and length-fast calcite and calcitized aragonite in a Holocene speleothem, Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico . Journal of Sedimentary Petrology56, 486–496 .
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Frisia, S.1996: TEM and SEM investigation of speleothem carbonates: another key to the interpretation of environmental parameters . Karst Waters Institute Special Publication2, 33–34 .
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Gascoyne, M.1983: Trace-element partition coefficients in the calcite-water system and their palaeoclimatic significance in cave studies . Journal of Hydrology61, 213–222 .
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Genty, D. , Baker, A. and Barnes, W.L.1997: Comparison of annual luminescent and visible laminae in a recently developed stalagmite–environmental significance . Comptes Rendus de l'Academie des Sciences325, 193–200 .
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Goede, A.1994: Continuous early last glacial palaeoenvironmental record from a Tasmanian speleothem based on stable isotope and minor element variations . Quaternary Science Reviews13, 283–291 .
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Goede, A. and McCulloch, M.1996: Significance of strontium variation in a Tasmanian speleothem . Karst Waters Institute Special Publication2, 40–42 .
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Goede, A. and Vogel, J.C.1991: Trace element variations and dating of a late Pleistocene Tasmanian speleothem . Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology88, 121–131 .
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Gonzàles, L.A. , Carpenter, S.J. and Lohmann, K.C.1992: Inorganic calcite morphology: roles of fluid chemistry and fluid flow . Journal of Sedimentary Petrology62, 382–399 .
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Hendy, C.H.1971: The isotopic geochemistry of speleothems. Part 1. The calculation of the effects of different modes of formation on the isotopic composition of speleothems and their applicability as paleoclimatic indicators . Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta35, 801–824 .
14.
Hill, C. and Forti, P.1997:Cave minerals of the world. Huntsville, ALA: National Speleological Society , 463-463 pp.
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Holmgren, K. , Karlén, W. , Lauritzen, S.E. , Lee-Thorp, J.A. , Partridge, T.C. , Piketh, S. , Repinski, P. , Stevenson, C. , Svanered, O. and Tyson, P.D.1999: A 3000-year high-resolution stalagmite-based record of palaeoclimate for northeastern South Africa . The Holocene9, 295–309 .
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James, J.M.1997: Minor, trace, and ultra trace constituents of speleothems. In Hill, C. and Forti, P. , editors, Cave minerals of the world, Huntsville, ALA: National Speleological Society , 236–237.
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Lauritzen, S.E.1996: Climate change: the karst record . Karst Waters Institute Special Publication2, 1–2 .
18.
Lauritzen, S.E.1998: ‘SPEP’: the speleothem record in the pole-equator-pole transects. In Gasse, F. , Kroeplin, S. and Oldfield, F. , editors, PEP III: the pole-equator-pole transect through Europe and Africa (‘Coordinating paleoenvironmental research along the PEP III transect’ Bierville (France), September 12–15 1996), Bern: PAGES , 37–43.
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Lauritzen, S.E. , Ford, D.C. and Schwarcz, H.P. 1986: Humic substances in speleothem matrix–paleoclimatic significance . Proceedings, 9th International Speleological Congress, Barcelona 1, 77–79 .
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Onac, B.P.1997: Crystallography of Speleothems. In Hill, C. and Forti, P. , editors, Cave minerals of the world, Huntsville, ALA: National Speleological Society , 230–236.
21.
Ramseyer, K. , Miano, T. , D'Orazio, V. , Wildberger, A. , Wagner, T. and Geister, J.1997: Nature and origin of organic matter in carbonates from speleothems, marine cements and coral skeletons . Organic Geochemistry26, 361–378 .
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Roberts, M.S. , Smart, P.L. and Baker, A.1998: Annual trace element variations in a Holocene speleothem . Earth and Planetary Science Letters154, 237–246 .
23.
Shopov, Y. , Ford, D.C. and Schwarcz, H.P.1994: Luminescent microbanding in speleothems: high-resolution chronology and paleocli-mate . Geology22, 407–410 .
24.
Wigley, T.M.L. and Brown, M.C.1976: The physics of caves. In Ford, T.D. and Cullingford, C.H.D. , editors, The science of speleology, London: Academic Press , 329–358.
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Yonge, C.J. , Ford, D.C. , Gray, J. and Schwarcz, H.P.1985: Stable isotope studies of cave seepage water . Chemical Geology58 (1–2), 97–105 .
