CHARACTERIZATION OF THE AIR SPACE AT CUEVA DE VILLA LUZ, TABASCO, MEXICO

Cueva de Villa Luz is the most active documented hydrogen sulfide-rich cave in Mexico. Hypogenic and epigenic speleogenesis are active in the caveThis two kilometer long shallow cave has 24 natural openings or skylights and twenty six known springs outflow into the cave. These springs have been classified in two categories by Hose et al. (2000) based mainly in the concentration of hydrogen sulfide and oxygen in the water. Malaska et al. (in preparation) further classified the water at CVL in seven categories based on ORP and turbidity measurements. Knowing the gas concentration at different heights above the water can help to understand the speleogenesis and the communities at hydrogen sulfide-rich caves. Changes in gas concentrations and in temperature will help to decipher the condensation corrosion processes active in the cave. In turn, we can understand the physical dynamics defining the environmental conditions for microbial and bat communities to live in.

Atmospheric gas concentrations and water physical chemistry parameters were measured. Measurements were taken in 50 locations along the cave during three days of April 2014. Hydrogen sulfide, oxygen, carbon monoxide and LEL gas concentrations and the atmospheric temperature were measured at 25, 50, 100, 150, & 200 cm above the water level using a Ventis MX4 by Industrial Scientific. The ceiling height and water depth were measured with a modified meter stick and a laser meter. Redox potential, pH, water temperature and conductivity were measured with a Hanna conductivity and ORP meter. We will present a more complete snapshot of the dynamic and complex speleogenesis at Cueva de Villa Luz based on the measurements taken.

Hose LD, Palmer A N, Palmer M V, Northup DE, Boston PJ, DuChene HR (2000) Effects of geomicrobiological processes in a hydrogen sulfide-rich, karst environment. Chemical Geology: Special Geomicrobiology Issue 169:399-423