This study is based on the hourly thermo-hygrometric
measurements carried out between July 2nd and December 14th, 2018 at
three points in the Cacica Salt Mine and at two very close points between
them outside the salt mine. iButton sensors were placed at -75 m (two
sensors) and -41 m (one sensor) inside the salt mine and at an average
altitude of 437 m outside the mine. We monitored for a period of 166
days (3984 hours) the inter-monthly, inter-diurnal and inter-hourly
evolution of air temperature, relative humidity and THI bioclimatic index
inside and outside the mine. Inside the salt mine, the microclimate is
characterized by a relative thermo-hygric uniformity and a slight
discomfort by cooling. The inter-hourly maximum amplitudes of the air
temperature and relative humidity for all hours ranged, for all monitoring
points inside the mine, between 0.4 and 2.1°C, respectively between 18.2
and 31%, while outside the mine the equivalent values were 41.9°C and
66%. The THI inter-hourly amplitudes ranged from 0.4°C to 1.5°C inside
the mine, while outside the equivalent value was 39.1°C. The thermohygric uniformity of the salt mine microclimate is also evidenced by the
standard deviation values of the hourly data which are very low into the
mine (temperature: between 0.1 and 0.3°C; relative humidity: between
3.2 and 5.8%; THI: between 0.1 and 0.3°C) compared to the equivalent
outside values (8.2°C, 11.4% and 7.9°C), respectively).
Keywords:
salt mine microclimate, low variability, slight discomfort by cooling.