Η διατριβή βασίστηκε στην υπαίθρια έρευνα για τον εντοπισμό υπογενών σπηλαίων στην Ελλάδα. Αναλυτικά μελετήθηκαν 33 σπήλαια στις ακόλουθες 21 τοποθεσίες: του Μαύρου Βράχου στο Σιδηρόκαστρο, σπήλαια στο Φαλακρό Όρος, σπήλαια στην περιοχή Λουτρών Ελευθερών, του Θεοχάρη στο Μενοίκιο, Ρετζικίου στη Θεσσαλονίκη, σπήλαια στο Όρος Άθως, Μαρώνειας, Καγιάλι και σπήλαια Κουφόβουνου στον Έβρο, Πετραλώνων και Νυχτερίδων στην περιοχή των Πετραλώνων, Αγίας Παρασκευής Χαλκιδικής, σπηλαιοβάραθρο Αλμωπίας, σπήλαια στο λατομείο Πολυκάρπης, σπήλαια Λέσβου, Ρούτση στη Ραψάνη, βάραθρο του Όρλιακα, σπήλαια Υμηττού, σπήλαια Ικαρίας, σπήλαιο Κρύας Βρύσης στην Καρδίτσα, Κουνουπέλι και Ανυγρίδων Νυμφών στη Δ. Πελοπόννησο. Τα σπήλαια αυτά αρχικά αναγνωρίστηκαν ως υπογενή με γεωμορφολογικά κριτήρια. Στη συνέχεια αναζητήθηκαν σπηλαιοθέματα που να συνδέεονται με τη σπηλαιογένεση, όπως είναι οι κρύσταλλοι και οι μαστοειδείς αποθέσεις. Από αυτές τις αποθέσεις συλλέχθηκαν δείγματα που μελετήθηκαν με διάφορες μεθόδους ως προς την ορυκτολογική, γεωχημική και ισοτοπική σύστασή τους. Επίσης, παρατηρήθηκαν στο ηλεκτρονικό μικροσκόπιο σάρωσης. Επιπλέον, έγινε μελέτη των ρευστών εγκλεισμάτων, ώστε να μετρηθούν οι θερμοκρασίες ομογενοποίησης των κρυστάλλων ασβεστίτη και η προέλευση των ρευστών. 
Από την έρευνα αυτή εντοπίστηκαν τα εξής ορυκτά: ασβεστίτης, αραγωνίτης, γύψος, αλουνίτης, πιγκερινγκίτης, ταμαρουγκίτης, βαρύτης, κίτρινη σανδαράχη, γκαιτίτης, χαλαζίας, οξείδια μαγγανίου, άμορφα πυριτικά και αργιλοπυριτικά ορυκτά. Τα οξείδια και υδροξείδια σιδήρου και μαγγανίου, μελετήθηκαν για πρώτη φορά στα ελληνικά σπήλαια και εντοπίστηκε η μοναδική ως τώρα περίπτωση στην Ελλάδα, απόθεσης που φέρει βιο-υπογραφές μικροοργανισμών στον γκαιτίτη του σπηλαίου του Μαύρου Βράχου. Ο χαλαζίας, βρέθηκε για πρώτη φορά σε ελληνικά σπήλαια. Μελετήθηκαν ειδικότερα ο ασβεστίτης, τα οξείδια και τα θειούχα με διάφορες μεθόδους κυρίως ως προς τη χημική και την ορυκτολογική σύσταση τους, τα σταθερά ισότοπα οξυγόνου, άνθρακα και θείου, καθώς και τα ρευστά εγκλείσματα. Τα δεδομένα που προέκυψαν συνδυάστηκαν με γεωμορφολογικά, τεκτονικά, υδρολογικά και άλλα στοιχεία στις επιμέρους περιοχές-σπήλαια, ώστε να εξαχθούν συμπεράσματα για τη σπηλαιογένεση κάθε σπηλαίου ή ομάδας σπηλαίων. Για κάθε περίπτωση σπηλαίου που μελετήθηκε ερμηνεύεται η σπηλαιογένεση, ταξινομείται το σπήλαιο με βάση τους τύπους υπογενών σπηλαίων και δίνεται όπου είναι δυνατό ένα χρονικό πλαίσιο για το σχηματισμό του. Η σπηλαιογένεση οφείλεται σε διάλυση κυρίως από ανθρακικό οξύ και σε κάποιες περιπτώσεις από θειικό οξύ. Τα ρευστά που δημιούργησαν τα σπήλαια είχαν κυρίως μετεωρική προέλευση. Οι μέσες τιμές που εμφανίζουν οι θερμοκρασίες ομογενοποίησης που μετρήθηκαν στους ασβεστίτες είναι υψηλές και κυμαίνονται από 90°C έως 280°C.  
Με βάση τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας τα υπογενή σπήλαια της Ελλάδας που μελετήθηκαν ανήκουν σε δύο κατηγορίες: τα ενδογενή υπογενή σπήλαια και αυτά που γίνονται σε ελεύθερους ή εγκλωβισμένους υδροφορείς που επικοινωνούν με τη θάλασσα και η σπηλαιογένεση εξαρτάται από το υδρόθειο. Στην περίπτωση των σπηλαίων της Αγίας Παρασκευής, διαπιστώνεται μια πολύπλοκη σπηλαιογένεση που συνδυάζει και τις δύο κατηγορίες.  
Με βάση τον τύπο των σπηλαίων, βρέθηκε μια στενή σχέση με υδροθερμικά ρευστά και την ύπαρξη εφελκυστικού γεωδυναμικού καθεστώτος, την κατάρρευση του ορογενούς που συνοδεύεται από εκτατικές κινήσεις και ρήγματα που μπορούν να ευνοήσουν την άνοδο ρευστών. Η διείσδυση πλουτωνικών σωμάτων, η δημιουργία λεκανών και κατά συνέπεια συνθηκών για γεωθερμική ανωμαλία και γεωθερμικά πεδία έχουν συνεπιδράσει στην εμφάνιση υπογενούς σπηλαιογένεσης.
 
This thesis is based on fieldwork research for identifying hypogene caves in Greece. Specifically, 33 caves studied in the following 21 locations: Mavros Vrachos Quarry Cave (MVQ) in Sidirokastro, caves in Falakro Mountain, caves in the Loutra Eleftheron area, Theohari Cave in Menoikio, Retziki Cave in Thessaloniki, caves on Mount Athos, Maroneia Cave, Kagiali Cave, and Koufovouno cavew in Evros, Petralona and Nychteridon caves in the Petralona region, Aghia Paraskevi Caves in Chalkidiki, Almopia Varathron cave, Polycarpi Quarry caves, Lesvos caves, Routsi Cave in Rapsani, Orliakas pothole, Ymittos caves, Ikaria Caves, Kryas Vrysi Cave in Karditsa, and Kounoupeli and Anygridon Nymphon caves in the W. Peloponnese region. These caves were initially identified as hypogene based on geomorphological criteria and were further explored to locate cave formations associated with speleogenesis, such as the speleothems spar and mammillaries. Samples from these deposits were collected and studied using various methods, including mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic analyses. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to investigate their structure. A fluid inclusions study aimed to measure the homogenization temperatures of calcite crystals and determine the origin of fluids.
The minerals identified in this research include calcite, aragonite, gypsum, alunite, pickeringite, tamarugite, barite, orpiment, goethite, quartz, manganese oxides, amorphous siliceous, and alluminosilicate minerals. Iron and manganese oxides and hydroxides were studied for the first time in Greek caves, with the unique case of a deposit bearing microbial bio-signatures in the goethite of the MVQ. Quartz was discovered for the first time in Greek caves.
Specifically, calcite, Fe and Mn oxides, and sulfates were extensively studied based on their chemical and mineralogical composition, stable isotopes of oxygen, carbon, and sulfur, as well as fluid inclusions. These data, combined with geological, tectonic, hydrological, and other regional information, were used to draw conclusions about the speleogenesis of each cave or cave group. The speleogenesis is attributed mainly to dissolution by carbonic acid and, in some cases, sulfuric acid. The fluids that formed the caves were predominantly meteoric in origin. The peaks of homogenization temperatures measured in calcite crystals were high, ranging from 90°C to 280°C.
Subsequently, all cases were examined and discussed in relation to the geological structure and evolution of the Greek orogeny. Based on the research results, the hypogene caves studied in Greece can be classified into two categories: endogenous hypogene caves and those formed in aquifers communicating laterally with the sea, where speleogenesis depends on the presence of hydrogen sulfide in the fluids. In the case of Agia Paraskevi Caves, a complex speleogenesis combining both categories of sulfuric acid and carbonic acid speleogenesis are observed.
Based on the cave types, a close relationship was found with hydrothermal fluids and the presence of an extensional geodynamic regime, the collapse of the orogeny accompanied by faults that can favor the rise of fluids. The intrusion of plutonic bodies, the formation of basins, and consequently conditions for geothermal anomalies and geothermal fields have interacted in the occurence of hypogene speleogenesis.

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