The NSS Bulletin - ISSN 1090-6924
Volume 47 Number 1: 12-16 - October 1985
A publication of the National Speleological Society

Natural Temporal Evollution of the CO2 Content in the Air of the "Paintings Chamber" at Altamira Cave
E. Villar, P.L. Fernandez, L.S. Quindos, and J. Soto

Abstract

Results obtained from the measurement of the CO2 content in the air of the "Paintings Chamber" at Altamira Cave (Santander, Spain) under natural conditons, that is in the absence of visitors, over a period of a year and a half, reveal that the content of this gas in the air of this chamber is closely linked to the thermal conditions inside the cave and shows a well-characterised annual variation, increasing during the spring and autumn months and decreasing during the summer and winter periods. Furthermore, chemical analysis of the water that flows into the "Paintings Chamber" of the cave shows that the CO2 dissolved in this water presents values very close to those corresponding to the equilibrium at the partial pressure of this gas in the atmosphere of this chamber.

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