Cave of Villars, France

45.442560N, 0.785300E, alt=160m

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Scientific Information

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About Cave of Villars 

Villars Cave, discovered in 1953, is among the longest cave of the Dordogne area (> 10km). It contains prehistoric paintings indirectly radiocarbon dated at about 20ka BP. It developps in the Bajocian and Bathonian limestones (Middle Jurassic, 170-166 Ma) witch were karstified very early, likely during the Cretaceaous. Many speleothems from this cave have been studied since 1994; they cover the last 3 climatic cycles. Many sensors have been put in the Villars Cave in the past 30 years. Climatic, hydrologic, and isotopic monitoring, at Villars started in 1996, making this survey among the longest in the world and allowing the perception of environmental changes over several decades.

Scientific information

Name Sampling site Sample type Mineral Height Bottom age Top age Details
Vil-stm1 Trou qui Fume stalagmite Calcite 109.6 cm 3170 ± 90 (Yr / a BP) -43 ± 1 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm2 North Galleries stalagmite Calcite 367 mm -43 ± 0 (Yr / a BP) 11644 ± 353 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm3 Trou qui Fume stalagmite Calcite 21 cm -43 ± 0 (Yr / a BP) 9930 ± 430 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm11 Lower galleries stalagmite Calcite 24 cm 5.5 ± 0.35 (Yr / a BP) 15.5 ± 0.26 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm9 Lower galleries stalagmite Calcite 148 cm 31400 ± 600 (Yr / a BP) 82800 ± 1800 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm4 Trou qui Fume stalagmite Calcite 52 cm -43 ± 0 (Yr / a BP) 8900 ± 900 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm5 Chaos Room stalagmite Calcite 22.9 cm -45 ± 0 (Yr / a BP) 10423 ± 685 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm6 Chaos Room stalagmite Calcite 70.8 cm -45 ± 0 (Yr / a BP) 8700 ± 370 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm7 Chaos Room stalagmite Calcite 15 cm no data no data
Vil-stm8 Chaos Room stalagmite Calcite 35.7 cm 94000 ± 6670 (Yr / a BP) 117000 ± 1482 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm10 Lower galleries stalagmite Calcite 22 cm 65 ± 45 (Yr / a BP) 8800 ± 530 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm12 Painting Room stalagmite Calcite 12.3 cm no data no data
Vil-stm13 Painting Room stalagmite Calcite 22.7 cm no data no data
Vil-stm14 North Galleries stalagmite Calcite 70.2 cm 28.9 ± 0.56 (Yr / a BP) 52 ± 0.94 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm15 North Galleries stalagmite Calcite 65.7 cm 52.2 ± 2.1 (Ka BP) 46.6 ± 4.7 (Ka BP)
Vil-stm16 North Galleries stalagmite Calcite 18 cm no data no data
Vil-stm17 Vil-#1A stalagmite Calcite 76.3 cm 104 ± 4 (Ka BP) 114 ± 3 (Ka BP)
Vil-stm18 Vil-#10A stalagmite Calcite 2 cm no data no data
Vil-stm19 Vil-#4 stalagmite Calcite 30 cm no data no data
Vil-stm20 Balcon room stalagmite Calcite 50 cm no data no data
Vil-stm21 Chaos Room stalagmite Calcite 5 cm no data no data
Vil-stm22 Balcon room stalagmite Calcite 22.9 cm 220209 ± 3750 (Yr / a BP) 241880 ± 4900 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm23 Balcon room stalagmite Calcite 13 cm no data no data
Vil-stm24 Colonne room stalagmite Calcite 63.5 cm 103360 ± 4400 (Yr / a BP) 114982 ± 1670 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm25 Chaos Room stalagmite Calcite 11.7 cm no data no data
Vil-stm26 Vil-#10B stalagmite Calcite 9.1 cm no data no data
Vil-stm27 North Galleries stalagmite Calcite 81.6 cm 31541 ± 700 (Yr / a BP) 40589 ± 9084 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm28 North Galleries stalagmite Calcite 10 cm no data no data
Vil-stm29 Trou qui Fume stalagmite Calcite 3.4 cm -45 ± 0 (Yr / a BP) 34 ± 0 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm30 Trou qui Fume stalagmite Calcite 33.4 cm -58 ± 10 (Yr / a BP) 14217 ± 150 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm31 Trou qui Fume stalagmite Calcite 26 cm no data no data
Vil-car1 Balcon room flowstone Calcite 114 cm 10887 ± 181 (Yr / a BP) 177692 ± 5954 (Yr / a BP)
Vil-stm#1A Vil-#1A stalagmite Calcite 7 cm no data no data
Vil-stm#1B Vil-#1B stalagmite Calcite 5 cm no data no data
Name Type Description Sampling site Number of sensors Details
Vil-#1AUnderground/CaveVil-#1A0
Vil-#1BUnderground/CaveVil-#1A0
Vil-#10AUnderground/CaveVil-#10A0

No results available

Name File Type Action
Wainer_2009_These.pdf application/pdf
Villars-Speleothèmes-monitoring-D-Genty-150926 [Enregistrement automatique].pdf application/pdf download_notAllowed 
Publication Name File Type Action
Genty-2003-Nat.pdf application/pdf
Genty-2008-IJS.pdf application/pdf
Genty-2014-GCA-print.pdf application/pdf
Genty-2014-PALEO-Villars.pdf application/pdf
Baker_2019_Nature_Com.pdf application/pdf
Baker_Genty_1998_GCA.pdf application/pdf
Baker_Genty_1998_Geology.pdf application/pdf
Baker_Genty_1998_JEM.pdf application/pdf
Baker_Genty_1999_JH.pdf application/pdf
Baker_Genty_2000_HESS.pdf application/pdf
Blyth_2008_QSR.pdf application/pdf
Daeron_2011_GCA.pdf application/pdf
Delluc_2017_Bull_Preh_SO.pdf.pdf application/pdf
Genty_1997_CRAS.pdf application/pdf download_notAllowed 
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VILLARS_1960_GLORY_PIERRET_COVER.pdf application/pdf download_notAllowed 
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application/pdf map site Villars-samples-location-maps-1.pdf
application/pdf map site Villars-cross-section-1.pdf
application/pdf map site Villars-map-all-1.pdf
application/pdf map site Villars-map-touristicPW1.pdf
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