Anthropogenic Influence on the Microclimate and Glaciation of the Kungur Ice Cave during the Period of Maximum Tourist Load

Abstract

The Kungur Ice Cave is visited by thousands of tourists every year, so the question of anthropogenic influence on changing its state is acute. Snow and ice formations are the main attraction of the cave. From the moment of discovery and improvement of the cave, the thickness of glaciation began to depend not only on natural, but also on technical and anthropogenic conditions. First, this is a change in the temperature of the outside air, the annual rise of underground and surface waters (the Sylva River), the construction of inlet and outlet tunnels, artificial ventilation, and the number of tourists. To assess the impact of the flow of tourists on the microclimatic characteristics of the Cave, the staff of the Kungur Stationary Laboratory conducted research during the period of maximum anthropogenic load in the summer of 2022. The data analyzed in this article made it possible to clarify that the existing tourist load has an insignificant impact on the microclimate of the Cave. After the passage of each group of tourists, the air temperature in the grottoes slightly increases (by a maximum of 0.1–0.2°C) but is restored during the daytime within 4–12 minutes, and at night the temperature regime is completely restored. The maximum tourist load per day is 825–925 people or more, depending on the operating mode of the Cave. Thus, the visiting regulations and the allowed throughput of the cave are currently chosen correctly. The number of tourists is not so large as to limit the visit to the Cave to protect the ice formations, especially since the first-year ice is renewed every winter.

Keywords

• kungur ice cave
• microclimate
• glaciation
• anthropogenic impact
• thermal pollution