Investigación aplicada a la conservación preventiva del sistema kárstico de La Garma (Omoño, Ribamontán al Monte, Cantabria)

The archaeological site of the Garma (Cantabria) is part of an active karst system with several levels of galleries interconnectedby vertical shafts. La Garma houses an exceptional archaeological heritage that includes magnificent examS.Cuezva, et al. 2016. Investigación aplicada a la conservación preventiva del sistema kárstico de La Garma (Omoño, Ribamontán al Monte...308ples of Palaeolithic cave art and settlement floors in an amazing state of preservation, as well as valuable evidence ofsymbolic behavior of Pleistocene hunter-gatherers. Its heritage values have made it worthy of their inclusion on theWorld Heritage List of UNESCO in 2008. The conservation of this site is a priority and it has been recently launcheda program of preventive conservation. The main objective of this project is to achieve a better knowledge of the undergroundecosystem and the impact of human presence in the underground microenvironment, both for purposesof sound management and research of the cavity as well as for a hypothetical opening to the public in the future.The underground karst system of La Garma, with various levels of galleries and directly connected with active watertable, involves a complex movement of matter (water, air masses and aerosols) and energy. To achieve an adequateknowledge of environmental dynamics, our research group is conducting a multidisciplinary study since February2015 by employing specific methodologies for each interface involved: microclimate (cavity in three internal levelsof karst and external atmosphere), hydrochemical (water infiltration and condensation), isotope geochemistry (air,soil) and microbiological contamination (air, soil, rock). Early data show very marked seasonal changes in the generalventilation pattern of the cavity (air renewal in winter) and areas with different microenvironmental stability, includingsectors with a greater degree of isolation from the regime of general circulation of air in the cavity.