Peloponnesian Stalagmites and Soda Straw Stalactites as Climate Archives Stable Isotopes in New Speleothem Material from Kapsia Cave, Peloponnese, Greece

This study presents results from stable isotope analyses of a modern stalagmite and three soda straw stalactites from Kapsia Cave, the Peloponnese, Greece. The resulting values from the stalagmite are put into context of local meteorological data, as well as previous research from Kapsia Cave. The potential for using soda straw stalactites as complementary climate archives on shorter time scales on the Peloponnese is also explored. The isotopic values in the stalagmite confirm a strong link to the amount effect on an annual scale. On a seasonal scale, variations in the isotopic signal can be detected as a result of i.e. increased cave air temperature in summer. The stable isotope values in the soda straw stalactites largely correspond to previous isotopic measurements in Kapsia Cave. The trend of the isotopic carbon signal in two of the straws also strengthens earlier theories suggesting a link to CO2 concentrations in the external atmosphere. Soda straws are, thus, encouraged for use in future climate studies, although the sampling method should be further explored. The results of this study contribute to an increased understanding of Peloponnesian speleothems in relation to environmental processes and new insights are suggested into the use of soda straw stalactites as climate archives.