Vermiculation research programme coordinated by Pierre-Yves Jeannin, Swiss Institute of Speleology and Karstology, ISSKA (2015–2018)
These small, inconspicuous deposits, just a few millimetres in size, are a natural phenomenon observed in other caves in the Dordogne and already mentioned at Lascaux. They are the result of a complex phenomenon involving the movement of sedimentary particles. In October 2009, vermiculations were reported in the Salle des Taureaux.
In order to better understand the evolution of this phenomenon, photographs are taken regularly to monitor the areas already affected and to detect any new vermiculations that appear. This comparative monitoring work shows that the phenomenon is evolving very slowly, with few new vermiculations having been recorded since 2009.
Although this is a common type of deposit in underground environments, there is very little published scientific data in this area. The authorities therefore wanted to set up a research programme to study the phenomenon and ensure that the Lascaux cave’s conservation needs are being met. Coordination of this research programme, the main focuses of which were defined by the Scientific Advisory Board, was entrusted, following a call for tenders, to theSwiss Institute of Speleology and Karstology, ISSKA. It is divided into 3 main focus areas: study of the spatial distribution of vermiculations, and hydrological, thermal and physico-chemical transfers; physico-chemical and microbiological characterisation of vermiculations; and experimentation and modelling. This programme should make it possible to identify the cave's spatial and temporal vulnerabilities based on the obtained results.
This research programme will have general implications for the conservation of decorated caves