A major international speleological expedition in Northern Velebit National Park concluded with rich data on permanent ice and the impact of climate change on subterranean ecosystems.
A major speleological expedition in Northern Velebit National Park has concluded, with the exploration and documentation of 33 speleological features. The total depth of the explored pits amounts to 1,100 meters. The expedition was led by Ema Buljan and Olga Jerković Perić from the Speleological Section of PDS Velebit and the Speleological Commission of the Croatian Mountaineering Association, with support from Northern Velebit National Park.
The research involved 51 speleologists from 10 speleological associations. In addition to Croatia, participants came from Austria, the USA, Portugal, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The expedition aimed to inventory and study speleological features, with a focus on documenting and monitoring the permanent ice found in many pits on Northern Velebit, which is affected by climate change at the surface.
The collected data show that winters on Northern Velebit remain exceptionally cold. The lowest temperatures last winter dropped to around -22 degrees Celsius. This has a positive effect on the microclimatic conditions within the pits.
The flow of cold air from some pits has, in fact, allowed snow to persist at certain locations on the surface of Hajdučki kukovi even during August. As a result, this area remains one of the coldest in Croatia this summer as well.
During the research, a number of interesting phenomena were recorded. These include the influence of deep pits on surface ecosystems, changes in microclimatic conditions within the pits, and the dynamics of ice whose age, according to previous research, ranges between 400 and 3,000 years.
From Northern Velebit National Park, via a Facebook post, they stated:
"However, this does not mean that climate change does not have a significant impact on the subterranean microclimate. In a number of pits, dynamics of permanent ice have been observed, with its level dropping or disappearing entirely."
The results of the expedition will contribute to a better understanding of the impact of climate change on the park's subterranean and surface ecosystems. The collected data and documentation will be used to create educational materials for formal and informal education. Topics about Croatia's natural treasures and their protection for future generations are, after all, poorly represented.
