Modern C, O, and H isotope composition of speleothem and dripwater from Modrič Cave, eastern Adriatic coast (Croatia)

Abstract

Modrič Cave is a shallow horizontal cave situated in the middle of the eastern Adriatic coast (Croatia). The cave entrance is located 120 m from the coast at an altitude of 32 m above sea level, and due to its position on the SW slope of the Dinaridic mountain range, a Mediterranean climatic influence is dominant. Due to the stable environmental conditions [(15.6 ± 0.1) °C] Modrič Cave was recognized as a potential site for detailed palaeoclimatic studies. Isotope analyses of modern carbonate speleothems, rain and dripwater were conducted in order to evaluate the isotopic equilibrium conditions. The δ18O composition of rain and cave seepage waters shows an absence of kinetic isotopic fractionation within the epikarst zone, whereas the relation between δ13C and δ18O in modern carbonate samples and dripwater suggests the isotopic equilibrium conditions during the carbonate deposition. These results contribute to a better understanding of the present-day isotopic composition and provide a basis for interpretation of speleothem-derived palaeoclimatic records.