Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39523382›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2024

Climate warming detected in caves of the European Alps.

Friedrich Obleitner, Martin Trüssel, Christoph Spötl

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Summer and Autumn Activity ofAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Friedrich ObleitnerDepartment of Atmospheric and Cryospheric Sciences, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52f, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria. friedrich.obleitner@uibk.ac.at.
Martin TrüsselFoundation Naturerbe Karst und Höhlen Obwalden (NeKO), Alpnach, Switzerland.
Christoph SpötlInstitute of Geology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52f, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.

Funding

Austrian Science Fund (FWF) P18637-N10Austrian Science Fund (FWF) P20618-N10Austrian Science Fund (FWF) P31874-N37Austrian Science Fund (FWF) Y122-GEO
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cave air temperatures in four caves in the European Alps show statistically significant warming trends of about 0.2 °C per decade over the last two decades (2000-2020). These trends are about half as large as those observed outside and are characterized by a remarkable spatial and temporal consistency. The investigated caves represent different types in terms of their ventilation regime and one of them also hosts perennial ice. Key observation sites are located in cave sections where the temporal variability of air temperature is strongly attenuated compared to outside conditions and data from different cave sections show that the main results are valid for large parts of the investigated caves. Continued warming will lead to broad changes in alpine cave environments, including changes in strength and direction of air flow in caves, karst hydrology and subsurface ecosystems. The observed subsurface warming has a particular strong effect on the long-term preservation of perennial ice present in some of these caves. This is shown for an ice cave in the Austrian Alps, where enhanced melt of ice correlates with the observed warming. This cave (and similar ones) will not be able to hold perennial ice beyond the next decade.

Indexed as

CavesEuropeRegional climate changeTemperature trends

Identifiers

PMID39523382
PMCPMC11551203

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.