Environmental and Human Impact on Ice Caves: The Example of the Wielka Śnieżna Cave in the Tatra Mountains (Poland)

Abstract Ice caves are characterised by specific microclimate, defined by the external climate as well as cave morphology (hence the location). They are unique components of Earth’s heritage. The ice formed there holds important paleoclimatic information and can be used to assess the global warming effect on the cryosphere in non-glaciated areas. We present an example from Wielka Śnieżna, the deepest cave system in the Polish Tatra Mountains, located in Tatra National Park (Tatrzański Park Narodowy). There have been no recent studies completed on the topic in this location. We provide the first contemporary results of temperature measurements by analysing microclimatic patterns and their response to global warming. There is ongoing ablation of the Ice Fall located in one of the lower entrances (Śnieżna) showing that the ice level has decreased by around 2 m in the last 10 years. The cave is under a minor human impact as it can be accessed only by professional cavers. However, some practices impact the balance of this fragile environment. By comparing our results with the outside temperature records, we aim to understand how dependent the cave microclimate is on the external fluctuations and changes. The ice in the Śnieżna is expected to be gone in the current century.