Talus-and-gorge ice caves in the northeastern United States past to present

The focus of this article is both a region and a type of cave not typically associated with ice caves. Nevertheless, both the region and the type play an important role in American ice-cave research. Talus-and-gorge ice caves in the northeastern United States can be used as climate indicators for a whole region; and therefore, they are the target of this young field of research. Ice caves, in general, are sensitive climatopes that can serve as excellent indicators for short and long term changes in the climate of a region, principally because of shifts between phases of increasing ice growth and melting during a year and over time. This research started with an investigation of known talus-and-gorge ice caves, followed by environmental monitoring of selected caves with perennial ice that were equipped with temperature sensors recorded over four years. This is one of the world’s longest high-resolution climatologic monitoring record of such caves. In addition, the height of the ice was surveyed annually at a time when ice would most likely be at its minimum, the start of November. This allowed for investigation of the annual changes and the influence of the temperature over the previous year. Some predictions for the future of the ice caves and the whole region could be deduced from the data. At the moment, there is no sign of either a renewed increase in the number of talus-and-gorge ice caves or an increase in ice accumulation within the existing ones