How is an Ice Cave in South Central Indiana possible?

Factual Questions
1

I’ve not personally visited this cave, but my grandmother often spoke of obtaining ICE there before they had refrigeration technology during the Summer. Below, I have a an article obtained from a website about Greene County Indiana landmarks http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=3 . I also personally have a map (taken from Richard Powell’s book which has been all but removed from circulation by local caving groups who don’t want maps to Indiana Caves easily available to the general public) which shows the location to the cave if there are any budding Geologists out there interested in investigating for themselves (If validated this would perhaps be the only non artic or alpine ice cave in the world). When, I was taking Chemistry in college, a possible scenario occured to me. We were talking about certain endothermic reactions such as crystal formation from certain salts (think ice packs) when I considered if the Greene County Ice Cave might not represent a natural, chemical, long term, endothermic reaction situation. Could this be a possibility? How would I go about getting this cave investigated in a seriouis manner? I don’t personally know any geologists and the Geology Dept at my school didn’t seem the least bit interested in investigating.

ICE CAVE

by

Jessica Bond

The Ice Cave is located south of Koleen and north of Doans. This cave in Southern Greene County is unusual as ice remains in it throughout the year, even in July and August. Although geologists say that such a cave in Indiana is virtually impossible, the cave does exist.

The cave is located on property owned by Mrs. Gayle Creager. A ridge runs across the Creager property with a sinkhole, round in shape and recessed about 20 feet down into the ground, located on it. Fallen rocks may be seen everywhere as part of the cave fell-in several years ago. In the sinkhole, a smaller hole serves as the entrance to the cave.

Beyond the entrance, the cave extends back toward the main rock ledge. A wonderland of frozen beauty greets a visitor as ice coats the sides and floor of the cave. A number of large stalactites of ice hang majestically from the ceiling. The ice is crystal clear and sparkles like a million diamonds.

The top of the cave is composed of loose sandstone and is quite hazardous. The cave extends for a considerable distance back into the hillside. Ice was once extracted in large quantities during the summer months and used for cooling purposes.

The reason ice is found year round in the Ice Cave, while all the other Indiana caves are ice free, is unknown. Ice caves are found in mountainous areas in several places across the United States, but in these areas the average mean of the annual temperatures is at or below freezing. However, this is not the case in Indiana where the temperature of a cave is usually 56 degrees; the Ice Cave has to be at least 32 degrees. Ice caves function as natural storage areas or cold air traps, but why only one Hoosier cave features this phenomenon is a mystery.

[Written May 1998]

REFERENCES

“Greene County’s Unique Ice Cave,” The Evening World.

Personal interview with Doris Bucher on Monday, October 6, 1997, in Bloomfield, Indiana.

Powell, Richard. Caves of Indiana.

2

Possible? Yes.

There are a few caves in Mexico that still have ice from the last ice age.

It’s not really a mystery…the geography of the caves ensure that they are always in shadow, and earth is an excellent insulator.

3

If these caves actually exist then there must be some “active” factor chemical or otherwise which is generating or maintaining the Ice. Most caves have temperatures that range in the mid fifties. The documented alpine/artic ice caves are different in that the ice forms in semi exposed areas of the cave (not deep underground where the temperature is to warm). The only chemical reaction that I am aware of that could do this is the endothermic one that I referenced above.

4

Also, the link above should read http://www.lssc.k12.in.us/Projects/Long/Landmarks/landmark.htm .

5

Well, I can remember standing in an ice cave in July last year freezing my butt off, while the outside temperature was in excess of 95*F, and I wasn’t in the Arctic or any alpine areas, nor Indiana. Ice remains year-round in there, although by late summer it has diminished quite a bit.

I haven’t been there yet this year because the access road is still snow-blocked.

6

I visited some caves in the Mount Saint Helens Area about fourteen years ago. Although, not alpine they were at a decent altitude, and had significant wind / air exposure (these particular caves didn’t have ice, I think they were called the “lava tube” caves but am not certain. They were listed in the AAA travel guide for the area). My point is that it is conceivable that these types of caves could “store” sufficient Ice to last quite a while. However, such storage for a cave in Greene County Indiana (or lower altitudes in Mexico) is quite a different matter.

As anyone even addressed my crystalization hypothesis? After all crystal formation is not at all uncommon in many caves (abeit usually at an insufficient level to promote ice formation).