@article{fdi:010062473,
  title = {{C}onservation of prehistoric caves and stability of their inner climate : lessons from {C}hauvet and other {F}rench caves},
  author = {{B}ourges, {F}. and {G}enthon, {P}ierre and {G}enty, {D}. and {L}orblanchet, {M}. and {M}auduit, {E}. and {D}'{H}ulst, {D}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}n the last 150 years, some prehistoric painted caves suffered irreversible degradations due to misperception of conservation issues and subsequent mismanagement. {T}hese sites presented naturally an exceptional stability of their internal climate allowing conservation in situ of outstanding fragile remains, some for nearly 40,000 years. {T}his is for a large part due to exchanges of air, {CO}2, heat and water with the karstic system in which these caves are included. {W}e introduce the concept of underground confinement, based on the stability of the inner cave climate parameters, especially its temperature. {C}onfined caves present the best conservative properties. {I}t is emphasized that this confined state implies slow exchanges with the surrounding karst and that a stable cave cannot be viewed as a closed system. {T}his is illustrated on four case studies of {F}rench caves of various confinement states evidenced by long term continuous monitoring and on strategies to improve their conservation properties. {T}he {C}hauvet cave presents optimal conservation properties. {I}t is wholly confined as shown by the stability of its internal parameters since its discovery in 1994. {I}n {M}arsoulas cave, archeological works removed the entrance scree and let a strong opening situation of the decorated zone. {R}emediation is expected by adding a buffer structure at the entrance. {I}n {P}ech {M}erle tourist cave, recurrent painting fading was related to natural seasonal drying of walls. {I}mprovement of the cave closure system restored a confined state insuring optimal visibility of the paintings. {I}n {G}argas tourist cave, optimization of closures, lighting system and number of visitors, allowed it to gradually reach a semi-confined state that improved the conservation properties. {C}onclusions are drawn on the characterization of confinement state of caves and on the ways to improve their conservation properties by restoring their initial regulation mechanisms and to avoid threats to their stability.},
  keywords = {{P}ainted cave ; {C}ave conservation ; {K}arst ; {E}nvironmental monitoring ; {U}nderground confinement ; {FRANCE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{S}cience of the {T}otal {E}nvironment},
  volume = {493},
  numero = {},
  pages = {79--91},
  ISSN = {0048-9697},
  year = {2014},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.05.137},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010062473},
}