Skip to main content

Bihor Mountains: Humpleu–Poienita Cave System

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Cave and Karst Systems of Romania

Part of the book series: Cave and Karst Systems of the World ((CAKASYWO))

  • 665 Accesses

Abstract

Humpleu Cave is currently Romania’s second longest cave. Its highlights are the beauty of its fossil and water passages, the alpine-type narrowness of the second, vertical, entrance, and by the still exciting possibility of finding new passages. Except for a number of mineralogical studies, Humpleu Cave remains largely under-investigated. A variety of features (morphology, tectonics, speleothems, speleogenesis) are awaiting to be studied in order to better understand this huge cave and its surroundings. The present chapter gives a very brief and condensed overview of the cave and hopes to resuscitate interest to study it more thoroughly.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Chirienco M (2002) Calcite moonmilk in the Humpleu Cave system (Romania): the relationship between crystal morphology and cave topoclimate. Cave Karst Sci 29(3):101–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Domșa M, Popa C (1988) Noi resturi de urside descoperite în peșterile României. Peștera 2:156–183

    Google Scholar 

  • Exel T (2013) Tonmineralogische Untersuchungen von Höhlenlehmen in Hinblick auf die Entstehung von Höhlensystemen. Unpublished B.Sc. Thesis, University of Life Sciences, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  • Exel T, Ottner F (2015) Nachweis von Crandallit in rumänischem Höhlensediment. Mitt Österr Miner Ges 161:147–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghergari L, Onac BP, Frăţilă G (1997) Mineralogy of crusts and efflorescences from Humpleu cave system. Proceedings of the 12th Int Congr Speleol, La Chaux-de-Fonds 1:231–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghergari L, Mârza I, Bodolea A, Sehiau S (1992) Observations cristallographiques et génétiques sur les mégascalenoèdres de calcite de la grotte de Valea a Firii (Monts de Bihor, Roumanie). Karstologia 20:49–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruia M (2003) Collembola from Romanian caves. Trav Mus Hist Nat “Grigore Antipa” 35:139–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Iepure S (2001) Ciclopides du Parc National des Monts Apuseni. I. Acanthocyclops plesai n. sp. et A. balcanicus bisaetosus n. ssp. (Crustacea, Copepoda). Stud UBB Biol 46:31–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Mantea G (1985) Geological studies in the upper basin of the Someșul Cald Valley and the Valea Seacă region (Bihor-Vlădeasa Mountains). An Inst Geogr Geofiz 66:5–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Mârza I, Selișcan D (1987) Phénomenes d’éboulements massifs dans la Grotte de Valea Firei (Bassin du Somesul Cald), dus a la néotectonique épisodiquement réactivée. Stud UBB Geol 32(2):81–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Moldovan C, Tămaș T, Haeuselmann Ph (2015) The mineralogy of some particular phosphate deposits from the Humpleu cave system, Romania. Acta Miner Petrogr Abs Ser 9:43

    Google Scholar 

  • Onac B (1986) Die grosse Höhle vom Fadental. Reflektor 4:9

    Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP (1992) Mineralogy of the Apuseni Mountains caves. Theor Appl Karstol 5:193–201

    Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP, Ghergari L (1993) Moonmilk mineralogy in some Romanian and Norvegian caves. Cave Sci 20(3):107–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP, Papiu F (1995) Peștera Mare din Dealul Humpleu. In: Theor Appl Karstol (Prog Abs and Field Trip Guide), pp 52–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP, Orășeanu I, Perșoiu A, Tămaș T (2006) Karst landforms and caves in north-western Romania. Field guide for the Climate change: the karst record Conference (30 May–3 June 2006), pp 48–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Onac BP, Papiu F, Aanei M, Bujor O, Irimie D, Filotie O (1998): Neotectonic features in the Humpleu cave system (Bihor Mountains, Romania). Speleocronos hors-série, Livre des contributions au colloque “Karst & Tectonics”, Han-sur-Lesse, 9–12 mars 1998, pp 135–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Orășeanu I (1996) Contributions to the hydrogeology of the karst areas of the Bihor-Vladeasa Mountains, Romania. Theor Appl Karstol 9:185–214

    Google Scholar 

  • Orășeanu I (2010) Karst hydrogeology of Apuseni Mountains. In: Orășeanu I, Iurkiewicz A (eds) Karst hydrogeology of Romania. Ed Belvedere, Oradea, pp 181–324

    Google Scholar 

  • Papiu F (1988) Notă asupra ponorului din Valea Ponorului. Peștera 2:71–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Papiu F (2001) Sistemul Humpleu. Speomond 6:26–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Papiu F, Selișcan D, London JC (1993) La Pestera Mare din Valea Firii. Regards 12:1–4

    Google Scholar 

  • Ponta G, Selișcan R, Steflea D (1993) Subterranean stream piracy in the upper basin of the Someșul Cald Valley area, Bihor Mountains, Romania. Bull Soc Géogr Liège 29:73–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Popa C (1990a) Peștera Mare din Valea Firei (notă preliminară). Peștera Suppl 1:4–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Popa C (1990b) Studiu topoclimatic din Peștera Mare din Valea Firii. Peștera Suppl 1:1–3

    Google Scholar 

  • Racoviță G (2011) Révision systématique des Leptodirinae souterrains des Monts Apuseni. VIII. Aperçu synthétique sur le genre Pholeuon. Trav Inst Spéol “Émile Racovitza” 50:37–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Șoit VG (2009) Studiul evenimentelor erozionale, depoziționale și al ariei sursaă a sedimentelor din Peștera Humpleu—Peștera Mare din Valea Firei (Muntii Bihor). Unpublished BS Thesis, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca

    Google Scholar 

  • http://pestera-humpleu.ro

Useful Websites

Download references

Acknowledgements

The large remapping project is not done singlehandedly. More than 50 persons from all over the world participated in this project, from logistic help, organizational aid, to prolonged field work and continuous help throughout these years. It would lead too far to enumerate all the helping hands here, but the cave mappers, which did not contribute directly to the article, are mentioned here in alphabetical order: J. Achtman, M. Achtman, R. Crăița, G. Frațilă, T. Kesselring, F. Maurer, F. Papiu, L. Plan, O. Pop, D. Sanz, late S. Schmassmann, R. Siegenthaler, T. Tămaș, and B. Wielander. Last but not least, the remapping project was initiated by B. P. Onac, who has been instrumental in organizing the first camps.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Philipp Häuselmann .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Häuselmann, P. (2019). Bihor Mountains: Humpleu–Poienita Cave System. In: Ponta, G., Onac, B. (eds) Cave and Karst Systems of Romania. Cave and Karst Systems of the World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90747-5_40

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics