Geokémia & Paleoklíma Kutatócsoport

Cave monitoring

Contact person

Dr. György Czuppon

Speleothems are among the most important climate indicators in terrestrial environments, as their age can be accurately determined and they possess numerous characteristics (proxies) that can be used to reconstruct past environmental changes. However, to ensure the accurate interpretation of speletohem calcite-based climate proxies, it is essential to comprehend the factors that influence calcite formation in this specific environment. Detailed cave monitoring is essential for our understanding of the interaction between climatic, hydrological, and cave-based processes and the petrological and geochemical characteristics of forming speleothem calcite. Furthermore, cave monitoring is also important for understanding karst hydrology, as the study of drip points (drip intensity, composition of dripping water) provides useful information regarding when and under what conditions groundwater recharge occurs.

Studied areas/caves

Hungary:

Aggteleki: Baradla and Béke caves
Keszthely Mts: Csodabogyós cave
Budai Mts: Pálvölgyi and Szemlőhegyi caves
Pilis Mts: Vacska cave (Ariadne cave system)

Croatia:

Velebit Mts: Cerovacke caves
Dinarids: Baraceve caves

Vietnam:

Hoa Bin region: Hoa Son and Nam Son caves
Quang Binh region: Phong Nha and Thien Duong caves

Related projects

OTKA FK-138626 Caves as Laboratories: The Use of Ca and Mg Isotope Compositions in the Study of Speleothems

PI: Dr. György Czuppon

Duration: 2021-2026

Budget: 28 971 000 Ft

HAS Project-Based Mobility (NKK-2024-6) Cave monitoring in the caves of northern and central Vietnam for the purpose of paleoclimatological research and the study of cave air pollution

PI: Dr. György Czuppon

Duration: 2024-2025

Budget: 2 017 000 Ft

OTKA PD-121387 Reconstruction of Holocene climatic and environmental changes based on a comprehensive geochemical analysis of stalagmites from Hungary and Croatia

PI: Dr. György Czuppon

Duration: 2016-2021

Budget: 15 867 000 Ft

MTA KEP-8-2018 Nanomin: Mineral formation processes at the nanoscale—from the unit cell of a crystal to the continental scale

PI: Dr. Attila Demény

Duration: 2018-2020

OTKA NK-101664 A comprehensive geochemical, paleoclimatological, and tectonic study of domestic terrestrial carbonate deposits

PI: Dr. Attila Demény

Duration: 2012-2016

Budget: 43 468.000 Ft

Publications

Duong Thuy Nguyen, Dung Chi Nguyen, Thuy Thi An, Chun- Yuan Huang, Chuan- Chou Shen, Czuppon György, Dong Van Bui, Linh Ngoc Nguyen, Hong- Wei Chiang, Yue- Gau Chen, Ha Vu Van, Quang Minh Nguyen, Tuan Minh Dang, Lam Dinh Doan, Ben Marwick, Yin Lin (2025): Stable isotope potential of Northern Vietnam stalagmites: A 51-cave survey with the Hendy test and U/Th analysis. VIETNAM JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES 48 (2), 262-284, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15625/2615-9783/24038.
Vu Thi Minh Nguyet, Nguyen Thuy Duong, Czuppon György, Stieber József, Van Phu Hung, Ha Tung Lam, Bui Van Quynh (2025): Preliminary Survey of Microclimate and Environmental Conditions in Show Caves in Hoa Binh and Phong Nha – Ke Bang areas. in ADVANCES IN THE EARTH, MINING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES FOR SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELEPMENT, Vol 2, (Ed: Pham Thi Hieu), 522-534, DOI: 10.15625/vap.2025.0231
Lange-Enyedi, NT ; Borsodi, AK ; Németh, P ; Czuppon, Gy ; Kovács, I ; Leél-Őssy, Sz ; Dobosy, P ; Felföldi, T ; Demény, A ; Makk, J (2023): Habitat-related variability in the morphological and taxonomic diversity of microbial communities in two Hungarian epigenic karst caves. FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, 99,12.
Czuppon Gy, Demény A., Leél-Őssy Sz., Stieber J., Óvári M., Dobossy P., Berentés Á., Kovács R. (2022): Monitoring and geochemical investigations of caves in Hungary: implications for climatological, hydrological and speleothem formation processes. in Cave and Karst Systems of Hungary (eds: Veress M., Leél-Őssy Sz.), 465-486. Chapter 16, SPRINGER International Publishing
Czuppon Gy., Demény A., Leél-Őssy Sz., Stieber J., Óvári M., Dobosy P., Berentés Á., Richard Kovács (2022): Cave monitoring in Hungary: an overview. CENTRAL EUROPEAN GEOLOGY, 65:1, 26-39.
Czuppon Gy (2022): Az Aggteleki-karszt barlangjaiban végzett monitoring jellegű kutatások. In: Fehér, B; Molnár, K; Lukács, R; Czuppon, Gy; Kereskényi, E (szerk.) Calce et malleo – Mésszel és kalapáccsal : 12. Kőzettani és Geokémiai Vándorgyűlés, KIRÁNDULÁSVEZETŐ. pp. 173-178.
Demény, A.; Rinyu, L ; Németh, P ; Czuppon, Gy ; Enyedi, N ; Makk, J ; Leél-Őssy, Sz ; Kesjár, D ; Kovács, I. (2021): Bacterial and abiogenic carbonates formed in caves–no vital effect on clumped isotope compositions. PLOS ONE, 16.
Surić M., Czuppon Gy., Lončarić R., Bočić N., Lončar N., Bajo P., Drysdale R.N. (2020): Stable Isotope Hydrology of Cave Groundwater and Its Relevance for Speleothem-Based Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction in Croatia. WATER, 12:9, 2386; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092386.
Czuppon Gy.; Kern Z.; Kármán K.; Németh S.; John Sz.; Haszpra L.; Kohán B.; Kiss K.; Siklósy Z; Polacsek Zs. 2019: Hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition of cave drip waters: implications for paleoclimate signal in stalagmite. MŰSZAKI FÖLDTUDOMÁNYI KÖZLEMÉNYEK 88: 44-47.
Czuppon Gy., Bocic N, Buzjak N, Ovari M, Molnar M. 2018. Monitoring in the Barac and Lower Cerovacka caves (Croatia) as a basis for the characterization of the climatological and hydrological processes that control speleothem formation. QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL, pp. 1-14.
Czuppon Gy., Demény A., Leél-Őssy Sz., Óvari M., Molnár M., Stieber J., Kiss K., Kármán K., Surányi G., Haszpra L. 2018: Cave monitoring in the Béke and Baradla Caves (Northeastern Hungary): implications for the conditions for the formation cave carbonates. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPELEOLOGY, 47, 13-28.