On February 14, 2023, at the headquarters of the Cave park Grabovača in Perušić a meeting with the director Jelena Milković was held. There is a long-term cooperation with this institution on the research of the Samograd cave and several other caves.
Namely, as part of the microclimatic research project of the Pećinski Park Grabovača and the Department of Geography (Faculty of Science / University of Zagreb), which has been going on for the third year, new research equipment was installed in the Samograd cave in July 2022. It is a meteorological station with sensors for collecting data on air temperature, relative humidity, pressure and air flow. The station was installed in the entrance passage of the cave, where the strongest currents of air have been recorded so far. The inflow of the air affects changes in temperature and humidity and causes changes in carbon dioxide concentrations, which is an important indicator of the environmental conditions in the cave.
The meteorological station is based on the technology of the Onset company, and was installed in cooperation with the Pileus Environmental Solutions company.
In addition to the already installed loggers on the surface and at four locations in the cave, which record data on temperature and air humidity every hour, this was the next step in establishing a system of measuring and monitoring microclimate conditions in Samograd. After the analysis, the data will be used in the sustainable tourist use of the cave, and studying the physics of the cave and geomorphological processes that, among others, led to the abundant deposition of speleothems. In this way, in addition to its tourist function, Samograd will become an underground laboratory for research, but also for the education of students, teachers and scientists.
We introduced Ms. Milković and the park staff to the goals, methods and planned results of the CARDIKARST project. Possibilities of cooperation in carrying out measurements and holding workshops to transfer knowledge to the scientific community, employees of public institutions for nature protection, teachers, and students were considered. A protocol has been agreed upon for conducting research in the Samograd cave, which will be carried out during the duration of the CARDIKARST project. We look forward to continued cooperation!