Abstract
Speleoseismology is the investigation of earthquake records in caves. Traces can be seen in broken speleothems, growth anomalies in speleothems, cave sediment deformation structures, displacements along fractures and bedding plane slip, incasion (rock fall) and co-seismic fault displacements. Where earthquake origins can be proven, these traces constitute important archives of local and even regional earthquake activity. However, other processes that can generate the same or very similar deformation features have to be excluded before cave damage can be interpreted as earthquake induced. Most sensitive and therefore most valuable for the tracing of strong earthquake shocks in caves are long and slender speleothems, such as soda straws, and deposits of well-bedded, water-saturated silty sand infillings, particularly in caves close to the earth's surface. Less easily proven is a co-seismic origin of an incasion and other forms of cave damage. The loads and creep movements of sediment and ice fillings in caves can cause severe damage to speleothems which have been frequently misinterpreted as evidence of earthquakes. For the dating of events in geological archives, it is important to demonstrate that such events happened at approximately the same time, i.e. within the error bars of the dating methods. A robust earthquake explanation for cave damage can only be achieved by the adoption of appropriate methods of direct dating of deformation events in cave archives combined with correlation of events in other geological archives outside caves, such as the deformation of lake and flood-plain deposits, locations of rock falls and active fault displacements.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ambraseys NN, Simpson KA, Bommer JJ (1996) Prediction of horizontal response spectra in Europe. Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics 25:371–400
Audra P (1999) Genèse des grands vides souterrains du réseau de Muruk, influence des séismes sur le karst (Montagnes Nakanaï, Nouvelle-Bretagne, Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée). Cagep, Uté de Provence, Etud géog Phys XXVIII:37–42
Becker A, Davenport CA (2003), Rockfalls triggered by the AD 1356 Basle earthquake. Terra Nova 15:258–264
Becker A, Ferry M, Monecke K (2005) Multiarchive paleoseismic record of late Pleistocene and Holocene strong earthquakes in Switzerland. Tectonophysics 400:153–177
Becker HK (1929) Höhle und Erdbeben. Mitt. Höhlen- u. Karstforsch Jg 1929(1):130–133
Bini A, Quinif Y, Sules O and Uggeri A (1992) Les mouvements tectoniques récents dans les grottes du Monte Campo Dei Fiori (Lombardie, Italie). Karstologia 19:23–30
Bögli A (1978) Karsthydrographie und physische Speläologie, Springer, Berlin 292 pp
Cadorin JF, Jongmans D, Plumier A, Camelbeeck T, Delaby S, Quinif Y (2001) Modelling of speleothems failure in the Hotton cave (Belgium). Is the failure earthquake induced? Netherlands J Geosciences 80(3–4):315–321
Crispim JA (1999) Seismotectonic versus man-induced morphological changes in a cave on the Arrábida chain (Portugal). Geodinamica Acta 12(3–4):135–142
Davenport CA (1998) Karst as a record of palaeoseismicity. HAN98, Spéléochronos Hors-Serie 41–44
Davenport CA, Ringrose PS, Becker A, Hancock PL, Fenton C (1989) Geological investigations of late and post glacial earthquake activity in Scotland. In: Gregersen S, Basham PW, eds Earthquakes at North-Atlantic passive margins: Neotectonics and Post–glacial Rebound,. Blackwell, London pp 175–194
Delaby S (2001) Palaeoseismic investigations in Belgian caves. Netherlands J. Geosciences 80(3–4):323–332
Dowding CH, Rozen A (1978) Damage to rock tunnels from earthquake shaking. J Geotech Eng Div ASCE 104GT2:175–191
Eikenberg J, Zumsteg I, Bajo S, Vezzu G, Ruethi M, Wyssling G (2001) Precise two clock dating of Pleistocene travertine: the 230Th/234U and 226Raex/234U approach. Quaternary Science Review 20:1935–1953
Fäh D, Giardini D, Bay F, Bernardi F, Braunmiller J, Deichmann N, Furrer M, Gantner L, Gisler M, Isenegger D, Jimenez MJ, Kästli P, Koglin R, Masciadri V, Rutz M, Scheidegger C, Schibler R, Schorlemmer D, Schwarz-Zanetti G, Steimen S, Sellami S, Wiemer S, Wössner J (2003) Earthquake catalogue of Switzerland (ECOS) and the related macroseismic database. Eclogae geol Helv 96(1):219–236
Fjeldskaar W, Lindholm C, Dehls JF, Fjeldskaar I (2000) Postglacial uplift, neotectonics and seismicity in Fennoscandia. Quaternary Sci Rev 19:1413–1422
Forti P (1997) Speleothems and earthquakes. In: Hill C, Forti P (eds). Cave Minerals of the World. National Speleological Society, Huntsville, pp. 284–285
Forti P (1998) Seismotectonic and paleoseismic studies from speleothems: the state of the art. HAN 98, Spéléochronos Hors-Série 79–81
Forti P (2001) Seismotectonic and paleoseismic studies from speleothems: The state of the art. Netherlands J Geosciences 80(3–4):175–185
Forti P, Postpischl D (1980) The hypothesis of the induced activity of the faults as a result of a statistical analysis of stalagmites. Proc Europ Reg Speleol Conf Sofia 352 P.F.G./C.N.R. 34–39
Forti P, Postpischl D (1984) Seismotectonic and paleoseismic analyses using karst sediments. Mar Geol 55:145–161
Funcken L, Decannière P (1988) Si la crue m'était contée... Stalactite 38:29–34
Genty D, Massault M, Gilmour M, Baker A, Verheyden S (1999) Calculation of past dead carbon proportion and variability by the comparison of AMS 14C and TIMS U/Th ages on two Holocene stalagmites. Radiocarbon 41(3):251–270
Geyh MA, Schleicher H (1990) Absolute age determination. Springer, Berlin, 503 pp
Gilli E (1986) Néotectonique dans les massifs karstiques. Un exemple dans les Préalpes de Nice: la grotte des Deux Gourdes. Karstologia 8:50–52
Gilli E (1995a) Recording of earth movements in karst. 5th Int Conf Seism Zonation Oct 17–19, 1995, Nice, AFPS. EERI. Ouest Edit., Nantes 1305–1314
Gilli E (1995b) Enregistrement des mouvements d'un versant par les spéléothèmes de la Grotte du Tignet. Karstologia 26:47–50
Gilli E (1996) Effets des séismes dans l'endokarst. Application aux études de sismicité historique. Rev d'Analyse Spatiale Quantitative et Appliquée 38–39:121–132
Gilli E (1997) Enregistrement de mouvements récents par l'endokarst. In: Fiches J-L, Helly B, Levret A (eds). Archéologie et sismicité. Autour d'un grand monument, le Pont du Gard, Editions APDCA, Sophia Antipolis pp 133–156
Gilli E (1999a) Rupture de spéléothèmes par fluage d'un remplissage endokarstique. L'exemple de la grotte de Ribière (Bouches-du-Rhône). C. R. Acad Sci Paris 329:807–813
Gilli E (1999b) Evidence of palaeoseismicity in a flowstone of the Observatoire cave (Monaco). Geodinamica Acta 12(3–4):159–168
Gilli E (2004) Glacial causes of damage and difficulties to use speleothems as palaeoseismic indicators. Geodinamica Acta 17(3):229–240
Gilli E, Delange P (2001) Utilisation des spéléothèmes comme indicateurs de néotectonique ou de la paléosismicité. In: Gilli E, Audra P (eds). Tectonique Active et Géomorphologie, Rev d'Analyse Spatiale Quantitative et Appliquée, Spec. Publ 2001:79–90
Gilli E, Levret A, Sollogoub P, Delange P (1999) Research on the February 18, 1996 earthquake in the caves of Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet area, (eastern Pyrenees, France). Geodinamica Acta 12(3–4):143–158
Gospodarič R (1968) Nekai o podrtih kapnikih v Postojnski jami. Naše jame 9:15–31
Gospodarič R (1977) The collapse of speleothems in the Postojna cave system. Proc 7th Int Speleol Congr Sheffield 223–225
Ivanovich M, Harmon RS (1992) Uranium series disequilibrium. Oxford Science Publisher, Claredon Press, Oxford, 910 pp
Jeannin PY (1990) Néotectonique dans le karst du nord du Lac de Thoune (Suisse). Karstologia 15:41–54
Kagan EJ, Agnon A, Bar-Matthews M, Ayalon A (2005) Dating large infrequent earthquakes by damaged cave deposits. Geology 33(4):261–264
Kaufman A (1993) An evaluation of several methods for determining 230Th/U ages in impure carbonates. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 57:2303–2317
Kaufman A, Wasserburg GJ, Porcelli D, Bar-Matthews M, Ayalon A, Halicz L (1998) U-Th isotope systematics from the Soreq cave, Israel and climatic correlation. Earth Planetary Science Letters 156:141–155
Keefer DK (1984) Landslides caused by earthquakes. Bull Geol Soc Am 95:406–421
Kempe S (1989) Sinterschäden: verursacht durch Permafrost oder Erdbeben? Mitt Verb Dt Höhlen- u Karstforsch. 35(1/2):87–90
Kempe S, Henschel H-V (2004) Alois Schaffenraths ”zerbrochene Pyramide“ (Postojnska Jama), ein Zeuge glazialer Höhlenvereisung? Mitt Verb Dt Höhlen- u Karstforsch 50(3):76–81
Knolle F (1982) Nachweis junger Erdbeben im Westharz durch Beobachtungen an Höhlensintern des Winterberges bei Bad Grund (TK 25:4127 Niedersachsen). Karst u Höhle 1981:35–47
Kostov K (2002) Speleothems as paleoseismic indicators: examples from Bulgaria. In: Leroy S, Stewart IS (eds). Environmental Catastrophes and Recovery in the Holocene, Brunel University, London (UK), 28 August–2 September 2002, Abstract Vol., pp 43–44
Labreche DA (1983) Damage mechanisms in tunnels subjected to explosive loads. In: Howard TR (ed). Seismic Design of Embankments and Caverns ASCE pp 128–141
Lacave C, Levret A, Koller MG (2000) Measurements of natural frequencies and damping of speleothems. Proc of the 12th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Auckland, New-Zealand, paper n∘ 2118
Lacave C, Koller MG, Eichenberger U, Jeannin PY (2003) Prevention of speleothem rupture during nearby construction. Environmental Geology 43:892–900
Lacave C, Koller MG, Egozcue JJ (2004) What can be concluded about seismic history from broken and unbroken speleothems? J Earthquake Engineering 8(3):431–455
Lemeille F, Cushing M, Carbon D, Grellet B, Bitterli T, Flehoc C, Innocent C (1999) Co-seismic ruptures and deformations recorded by speleothems in the epicentral zone of the Basel earthquake. Geodinamica Acta 12(3–4):179–191
Lignier V, Desmet M (2002) Les archives sédimentaires quaternaires de la grotte sous les Sangles (Bas-Bugey, Jura méridional, France). Indices paléo-climatiques et sismo-tectoniques. Karstologia 39(1):27–46
Maire R (1990) La Haute Montagne Calcaire. Karstologia Mémoires 3 732
Mayer-Rosa D, Cadiot B (1979) A review of the 1356 basel earthquake: basic data. Tectonophysics 53:325–333
McGarr A (1983) Estimating ground motions for small nearby earthquakes. In: Howard TR (ed). Seismic Design of Embankments and Caverns ASCE 113–127
Mocchiutti A (2002) Morfologie ipogee e neotettonica. Mondo sotterraneo, n.s., a. XXVI(1–2):11–18
Mörner N-A, Tröften PE, Sjöberg R, Grant D, Dawson S, Bronge C, Kvamsdal O, Sidén A (2000) Deglacial paleoseismicity in Sweden: the 9663 BP Iggesund event. Quaternary Sci Rev 19:1461–1468
Moser M, Geyer M (1979) Seismospeläologie – Erdbebenzerstörungen in Höhlen am Beispiel des Gaislochs bei Oberfellendorf (Oberfranken, Bayern). Die Höhle 30(4):89–102
Pielsticker K-H (1998) Die Groß e Sunderner Höhle (Sundern, Hochsauerlandkreis, BRD). Sinterbrüche und Umlagerungen – Eisdruck oder Erdbeben? Mitt Verb Dt Höhlen- u Karstforsch. 44(1):4–11
Postpischl D, Agostini S, Forti P, Quinif Y 1991, Palaeoseismicity from karst sediments: the “Grotta del Cervo” cave case study (Central Italy). Tectonophysics 193:33–44
Renault P (1970) La Formation des Cavernes. Que Sais-je? 1400:38–39
Ringrose PS (1987) Fault activity and palaeoseismicity during quaternary time in Scotland. Ph.D. thesis. Univ of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
Rouzaud F, Soulier M, Lignereux Y (1995) La grotte de Bruniquel. Spelunca Bull Fed fra Spéléo 60:27–34
Schillat B (1965) Nachweis von Erdbeben in Höhlen. Der Aufschluß 16:133–136
Schillat B (1976) Aufzeichnung langfristiger tektonischer Wellenbewegungen in den Wachstumsachsen von Tropfsteinen. Abh. Karst- u. Höhlenkunde A14:1–44
Schillat B (1977) Aufzeichnungen langfristiger, tektonischer Wellenbewegungen in den Wachstumsachsen von Tropfsteinen. Proc.7th Int Speleol Congr, Sheffield 377–379
Schmid E (1958) Höhlenforschung und Sedimentanalyse: Ein Beitrag zur Datierung des Alpinen Paläolithikums. Schr. Inst. Ur- u. Frühgeschichte Schweiz 13:186
Shimizu I, Osawa H, Seo T, Yasuike S, Sasaki I (1996) Earthquake-related ground motion and groundwater pressure change at the Kamaishe Mine. Eng Geol 43:107–118
Sjöberg R (1987) Caves as indicators of neotectonics in Sweden. Z Geomorph NF, Suppl -Bd 63:141–148
Spöcker RG (1981) Landschaftsentwicklung im Wiesentgebiet um Muggendorf und Streitberg. Karst u Höhle 1980:1–34
Vanara N (1997) Datation d'un phénomène catastrophique dans la grotte-tunnel d'Azaleguy (massif des Arbailles, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France). Speleochronos 8:13–21
Vandyke S, Quinif Y (2001) Recent active faults in Belgian Ardenne revealed in Rochefort Karstic network (Namur Province, Belgium). Netherlands J Geosciences 80(3–4):297–304
Wang JM (1985) The distribution of earthquake damage to underground facilities during the 1976 Tang-Shan earthquake. Earth spectra 4(1):741–757
Žumer J (1996) Potres v Dimnicah. Naše jama 38:152–154
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Becker, A., Davenport, C.A., Eichenberger, U. et al. Speleoseismology: A critical perspective. J Seismol 10, 371–388 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-006-9017-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-006-9017-z