[Texascavers] Aggie biospeleology field trip canceled
Since I don't have time to notify every caver that might be considering coming out this weekend to swim through Spring Creek Cave with the A and M biospeleology class they have postponed their trip until November 2nd weekend in hopes that the water level will be lower by then. Mike Burrell CWAN - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
[Texascavers] Cave Records Provide Clues to Climate Change
Cave Records Provide Clues to Climate Change http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/533703/#imagetop (The link has some photos.) Newswise - When Georgia Tech Assistant Professor Kim Cobb and graduate student Jud Partin wanted to understand the mechanisms that drove the abrupt climate change events that occurred thousands of years ago, they didn't drill for ice cores from the glaciers of Greenland or the icy plains of Antarctica, as is customary for paleoclimatolgists. Instead, they went underground. Growing inside the caves of the tropical Pacific island of Borneo are some of the keys to understanding how the Earth's climate suddenly changed - several times - over the last 25,000 years. By analyzing stalagmites, the pilar-like rock formations that stem from the ground in caves, they were able to produce a high-resolution and continuous record of the climate over this equatorial rainforest. These stalagmites are, in essence, tropical ice cores forming over thousands of years, said Partin. Each layer of the rock contains important chemical traces that help us determine what was going on in the climate thousands of years ago, much like the ice cores drilled from Greenland or Antarctica. The tropical Pacific currently plays a powerful role in shaping year-to-year climate variations around the globe (as evidenced by the number of weather patterns influenced by the Pacific's El Nino), but its role in past climate change is less understood. Partin and Cobb's results suggest that the tropical Pacific played a much more active role in some of the abrupt climate change events of Earth's past than was once thought and may even have played a leading role in some of these changes. Polar ice cores reveal that the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere each have their own distinct patterns of abrupt climate change; the tropical Pacific may provide the mechanistic link between the two systems. Understanding how the climate changes occurred and what they looked like is important to helping scientists put into context the current trends in today's climate. They published their findings in the Sept 27, 2007, issue of the journal Nature. The research team collected stalagmites from the Gunung Buda cave system in Borneo in 2003, 2005 and 2006. Analyzing three stalagmites from two separate caves allowed the pair to create a near-continuous record of the climate from 25,000 years ago to the present. While this study is not the first to use stalagmites to examine climate over this time period, it is the first to do so in the tropical Pacific. Typically, in these types of studies, only one stalagmite is analyzed, but Partin and Cobb compared their three stalagmite records to isolate shared climate-related signals. Stalagmites are formed as rain water, mixed with calcium carbonate and other elements, makes its way through the ground and onto the cave floor. As this solution drips over time, it hardens in layers, creating a column of rock. Partin and Cobb cut open each stalagmite and took 1,300 measurements of their chemical content to determine the relative moisture of the climate at various periods in history starting from the oldest layers at the bottom to the present at the top. They dated the rocks by analyzing the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium, and determined the amount of precipitation at given times by measuring the ratio of oxygen isotopes. Our records contain signatures of both Northern and Southern Hemisphere climate influences as the Earth emerged from the last ice age, which makes sense given its equatorial location, said Cobb. However, tropical Pacific climate was not a simple linear combination of high-latitude climate events. It reflects the complexity of mechanisms linking high and low latitude climate. For example, Partin and Cobb's records suggest that the tropical Pacific began drying about 20,000 years ago and that this trend may have pre-conditioned the North Atlantic for an abrupt climate change event that occurred about 16,500 years ago, known as the Heinrich 1 event. In addition, the Borneo records indicate that the tropical Pacific began to get wetter before the North Atlantic recovered from the Heinrich 1 event 14,000 years ago. Perhaps the tropical Pacific is again driving that trend, said Partin. Currently our knowledge of how these dramatic climate changes occurred comes from just a few sites, said Cobb. As more studies are done from caves around the world, hopefully we'll be able to piece together a more complete picture of these changes. Understanding how the dominoes fell is very important to our understanding of our current warming trend.
RE: [Texascavers] Cave Records Provide Clues to Climate Change
Very interesting and one of those hmmm articles, Allan. Thanks for posting it. Any relation to one of the researchers? Later, (A curious) Mark From: Allan B. Cobb [mailto:a...@oztotl.com] Sent: Thu 9/27/2007 8:45 AM To: texascavers@texascavers.com Subject: [Texascavers] Cave Records Provide Clues to Climate Change Cave Records Provide Clues to Climate Change http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/533703/#imagetop (The link has some photos.) Newswise - When Georgia Tech Assistant Professor Kim Cobb and graduate student Jud Partin wanted to understand the mechanisms that drove the abrupt climate change events that occurred thousands of years ago, they didn't drill for ice cores from the glaciers of Greenland or the icy plains of Antarctica, as is customary for paleoclimatolgists. Instead, they went underground. Growing inside the caves of the tropical Pacific island of Borneo are some of the keys to understanding how the Earth's climate suddenly changed - several times - over the last 25,000 years. By analyzing stalagmites, the pilar-like rock formations that stem from the ground in caves, they were able to produce a high-resolution and continuous record of the climate over this equatorial rainforest. These stalagmites are, in essence, tropical ice cores forming over thousands of years, said Partin. Each layer of the rock contains important chemical traces that help us determine what was going on in the climate thousands of years ago, much like the ice cores drilled from Greenland or Antarctica. The tropical Pacific currently plays a powerful role in shaping year-to-year climate variations around the globe (as evidenced by the number of weather patterns influenced by the Pacific's El Nino), but its role in past climate change is less understood. Partin and Cobb's results suggest that the tropical Pacific played a much more active role in some of the abrupt climate change events of Earth's past than was once thought and may even have played a leading role in some of these changes. Polar ice cores reveal that the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere each have their own distinct patterns of abrupt climate change; the tropical Pacific may provide the mechanistic link between the two systems. Understanding how the climate changes occurred and what they looked like is important to helping scientists put into context the current trends in today's climate. They published their findings in the Sept 27, 2007, issue of the journal Nature. The research team collected stalagmites from the Gunung Buda cave system in Borneo in 2003, 2005 and 2006. Analyzing three stalagmites from two separate caves allowed the pair to create a near-continuous record of the climate from 25,000 years ago to the present. While this study is not the first to use stalagmites to examine climate over this time period, it is the first to do so in the tropical Pacific. Typically, in these types of studies, only one stalagmite is analyzed, but Partin and Cobb compared their three stalagmite records to isolate shared climate-related signals. Stalagmites are formed as rain water, mixed with calcium carbonate and other elements, makes its way through the ground and onto the cave floor. As this solution drips over time, it hardens in layers, creating a column of rock. Partin and Cobb cut open each stalagmite and took 1,300 measurements of their chemical content to determine the relative moisture of the climate at various periods in history starting from the oldest layers at the bottom to the present at the top. They dated the rocks by analyzing the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium, and determined the amount of precipitation at given times by measuring the ratio of oxygen isotopes. Our records contain signatures of both Northern and Southern Hemisphere climate influences as the Earth emerged from the last ice age, which makes sense given its equatorial location, said Cobb. However, tropical Pacific climate was not a simple linear combination of high-latitude climate events. It reflects the complexity of mechanisms linking high and low latitude climate. For example, Partin and Cobb's records suggest that the tropical Pacific began drying about 20,000 years ago and that this trend may have pre-conditioned the North Atlantic for an abrupt climate change event that occurred about 16,500 years ago, known as the Heinrich 1 event. In addition, the Borneo records indicate that the tropical Pacific began to get wetter before the North Atlantic recovered from the Heinrich 1 event 14,000 years ago. Perhaps the tropical Pacific is again driving that trend, said Partin. Currently our knowledge of how these dramatic climate changes occurred comes from just a few sites, said Cobb. As more studies are done from caves around the world, hopefully we'll be able to piece together a more complete picture of these changes. Understanding how the dominoes fell is very important to our
[Texascavers] TSA FALL Members Meeting
The TSA will hold its Fall Members meeting on Sunday morning, immediately following the TCMA meeting. There are numerous exciting topics on our agenda for this meeting, so make plans to attend now. More details and an agenda to follow! John Brooks
[Texascavers] Sea Level Rise--the Map
Here it is now. I didn't figger it was worth sending if I didn't have your attention first. http://flood.firetree.net/ --Ediger -- Original message -- From: Jim and Avalon wildthi...@gorge.net Tell me why as a nation should we should be expected to care about the date Jamestown was founded when our leaders show no interest in controlling the rising sea level which will soon obliterate the colony's site? Here is the map of sea level rise I've been looking for. It loads on England, but you can select the North America tab and grasp and shove, or scroll, and scale right down to your respective hovel. --Ediger - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
[Texascavers] More Sea Level Rise--the show
From another list: There's a great two hour show, How the Earth Was Made, on the History Channel. It will really put rising sea levels in perspective for you. Check it out at: http://www.history.com/shows.do?episodeId=242366action=detail - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
[Texascavers] TSA Elections / Call for nominations
Greetings Texas Cavers, TSA Members and residents of the Center of the Caving Universe ( aka TEXAS); Its that time of year again! Its time for the TSA officer elections. Between now and TCR; I ask each of you to think about who you think would be a great TSA officer. Please nominate the caver in your grotto who always seems to know how to rally the troops for a dig, or a caving trip or a survey trip. Nominate those cavers that know how to get things done. Please nominate someone that you know who wants to support and contribute to the caving community. This is a fantastic opportunity to make caving in Texas better than it already is. Please nominate your fellow cavers to be a TSA officer! The positions are: 1. Chairman 2. Vice Chairman 3. Secretary 4. Treasurer There are, of course, varying responsibilities, with each position. But these offices provide a great opportunity to support a great organization and give back to the caving community. In addition, you will get to know your fellow cavers much better by running for an office and by servingand every position comes with the added benefit of being invited on lots of caving trips! I have enjoyed the last two years of being Chairman. But I am not seeking re-election because of other professional and volunteer commitments. And I believe that as an organization, the TSA will be healthier when our leadership base is continually replenished with a refreshed enthusiasm. In addition to getting to know many cavers around the state better, I have particularly enjoyed the numerous inquiries I received as Chairman from landowners with caves on thier property and others interested in caves. It reminded me of the great curiousity that many people have about caves and caving. And I might add...this was a great unexpected benefit of being an officer! Cave leads! ( and no...none of them turned into anything significant...but you never know...unless you look ) Please send me your nominations for these off list at your earliest convenience. If there are questions about the responsibilities for any of these positions; please ask, and I will gladly provide additional detail. I look forward to hearing from each of you. John Brooks TSA Chairman 2007
[Texascavers] Sea Level Rise--the scam
Don't push any buttons, just look at the map. The good news is that sea level probably won't rise quite 14 meters. The bad news is that neither Houston nor New York will be totally flooded. New Orleans is toast; we don't need no stinking hurricanes. --Ediger -- Original message -- From: Ron Ralph ronra...@austin.rr.com I plugged in my house on the top of a fluvial divide that has not flooded since the Pleistocene and got back a Low to Moderate risk rating with a button to push if I wanted to buy insurance. I think this is a scam or at best a scare tactic. Where are the FEMA flood zone maps with 25 year and 100 year averages? - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
[Texascavers] TSS work party this Sunday
Cavers, Just a reminder, we will be painting, cleaning, and doing some carpentry at the TSS office in NW Austin this Sunday. Directions are on the TSS website at www.txspeleologicalsurvey.org. See the announcement below, which ran a few days ago. Directors, if you are in town and available, we would love to see you. We would also really love to see some out-of-town grotto turnout! When arriving at PRC, just tell the gate guards that you are there for the Open House/Work Session at the TSS office in Building 18-A. They should have a letter in their notebook granting us access. Don't worry about contacting me ahead of time to get your name on the list, but I wouldn't mind some rough idea of who will be there. -- Crash -- The TSS office is having a major fall cleaning and work session this Sunday, 30 September, at 10:00 am. That's right, Sunday. We have scheduled it on a weekend to hopefully accommodate more cavers from outside of Austin. If your grotto would like to make a weekend field trip and help out, we can probably hook you up with a caving trip on Saturday and find you crash space at night. Heck, people are welcome to camp in my back yard or living room floor if they want. We have multiple tasks that we wish to accomplish this Sunday. We want to move some furniture and wirebrush and paint a badly flaking brick wall (previously painted). We also want to repair a hardwood floor that badly buckled from the humidity this summer, and have to move some furniture and rip up some boards to do that. And finally we need to give the entire office a good cleaning, carrying out old equipment to the curb, sweeping floors, knocking down cobwebs, dusting shelves and cabinets, cleaning the desks and tables, and ridding the rooms of vermin. There will also be the opportunity to meet some TSS Directors, go through the TSS files, and copy maps and descriptions if you want, but those things will have to be worked around the big jobs, since the main room will be a little torn up and a beehive of activity. If you think you can make it, contact Jim Kennedy by Thursday at the very latest so we can get your name on the PRC security list and so we have a rough idea of how much help we have. The TSS will buy lunch for everyone who shows up for the day. We plan to work until the afternoon sometime, depending on how fast this all goes. We'll have all the paint, cleaning supplies, and tools on hand, so all you need are clothes you don't mind getting dirty, and a willingness to help. We hope to see you then. Jim Kennedy, TSS Office Manager jkenn...@batcon.org
[Texascavers] USGS publications on line and can be downloaded
More free publication discoveries from geoarcheologist Paul Heinrich. Roger Moore Houston Dear Friends, You also might be interested to know that a considerable number of United States Geological Survey Publications, i.e. Professional Papers, Bulletins, various maps, and so forth, can be downloaded as djvu files. Individual publications can be found using: Basic Search http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/index.jsp or Advanced Search http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/index.jsp?view=adv Examples of publications, which can be downloaded are: 1. Permian rock units in the Glass Mountains, west Texas, USGS Bulletin 1244-E: http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/b/b1244E 2. Pennsylvanian and Lower Permian rocks of parts of west and central Texas; Petrography and environmental analysis of some Pennsylvanian limestones from central Texas, USGS Professional Paper 315-E. http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/pp/pp315E Yours, Paul H.florid Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com
[Texascavers] muddy caving clothes
Have you ever wondered if there is a better way to wash your muddy caving clothes? Have you heard of Laundry Pure yet? http://www.chippynews.com/LaundryPure.htm Cavers in the very near future will probably want one of these. This $ 800 device connects to your washing machine. And 4 cavers can buy 4 for the price of 3. Reports claim it works and does clean clothes better with zero soap. Other reports claim their bacteria removal is misleading. If it makes doing laundry easier, then it sounds like a good idea. Can it clean caving rope better?Would the UV light hurt the nylon rope? I have never given laundry any thought before, but it seems like there has to be some other filtration techniques that could clean clothes better without soap and hot water. Maybe a big filter like swimming pools use? I would especially like a washing machine that uses the same water over and over again, so that you reduce your water usage? And it would be great if it would dry the clothes too and send me a text message on my cell phone when they are done? There are some caving trips that it may be better to just wear old clothes and throw them away afterwards. David - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
Re: [Texascavers] muddy caving clothes
This is a crappy gimmick based on old technology. Gee a UV-C lamp and a silver plated rod.. I bet you can make this in your garage for around 50 bucks. Tell you whatI'll make one and sell it to you for $699.00, what a savings!! The problem with this is while it might effectivly kill bacteria it dosent help remove oils and dirt from your clothes. You can get the same disinfecting power by simply hanging your clothes out on a line like your mom used to do in the sun. As for how to get the mildew/BO stink out of your caving gear...simply add a 1/8th cup of bleach to your laundry water before you put your clothes inlet it mix and then add your clothes. There wont be enough bleach to bleach your clothes but it will be enough to kill the mildew and bacteria. - Original Message - From: David Locklear dlocklea...@gmail.com To: Texas Cavers texascavers@texascavers.com Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 10:43 PM Subject: [Texascavers] muddy caving clothes Have you ever wondered if there is a better way to wash your muddy caving clothes? Have you heard of Laundry Pure yet? http://www.chippynews.com/LaundryPure.htm Cavers in the very near future will probably want one of these. This $ 800 device connects to your washing machine. And 4 cavers can buy 4 for the price of 3. Reports claim it works and does clean clothes better with zero soap. Other reports claim their bacteria removal is misleading. If it makes doing laundry easier, then it sounds like a good idea. Can it clean caving rope better?Would the UV light hurt the nylon rope? I have never given laundry any thought before, but it seems like there has to be some other filtration techniques that could clean clothes better without soap and hot water. Maybe a big filter like swimming pools use? I would especially like a washing machine that uses the same water over and over again, so that you reduce your water usage? And it would be great if it would dry the clothes too and send me a text message on my cell phone when they are done? There are some caving trips that it may be better to just wear old clothes and throw them away afterwards. David - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com - Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
[Texascavers] Greg Passmore, Ox Bel Ha and Nohoch Nah Chich
FYI, Greg Passmore is an ex-San Antonio caver. From the article, it looks like that should just be ex-San Antonio, not ex-caver. Original article is at http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/9/emw555971.htm -- Diving Deep and Long in the Caves of the Riviera Maya PassmoreLab Films world's longest underwater caves (PRWEB) September 26, 2007 -- The sub-aquatic caverns of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula have long been a favorite spot for divers and cave explorers, but thanks to San Diego-based PassmoreLab, soon everyone will be able to catch a glimpse of one of nature's most beautiful phenomena. Inner Earth, an educational film series on cave formations and their uses throughout history will use PassmoreLab technology to film the Ox Bel Ha and Nohoch Nah Chich cave systems in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Ox Bel Ha is the world's longest underwater cave and Nohach Nah Chich is the third longest. Both caves used to be above the water's surface until rising oceans submerged them. According to speleonet.com, a website for cave divers, these caves represent an irreplaceable resource. [Their] scientific study has already yielded vital environmental information important not only in a local sense, but in a broader global perspective as well... The understanding of what's going on underground is an essential tool in helping to make sagacious decisions as to what should and should not happen on the surface. PassmoreLab founder, Greg Passmore, has a more humanist take on the importance of the cave film project. For whatever reason, people have always been drawn to caves. Through the ages, caves have been used as places of refuge, religious ceremony and awe. These underwater caves are fascinating places that touch our imagination. Inner Earth will allow all of us to experience a world which until now only a few people have ever seen. Filming difficult locations like the 83-mile-long Ox Bel Ha is nothing new to PassmoreLab. Because of its unique ability to create camera systems that can film where no one else has filmed before, the company has been involved in film projects throughout the world. We help to see things in new and powerful ways through science, says Passmore. PassmoreLab is currently producing thirteen heart-stopping episodes of Inner Earth, showcasing the largest and most amazing caves on the planet. The show brings its audience caves filled with ice, crocodiles, remains of ancient cities, massive bat colonies and even caves flooded with water. Some caves are so large they are explored with helicopters. Others are so tight breathing is difficult. Educational and entertaining, Inner Earth also explores the relationship between our culture on the surface and the world inside the earth. About PassmoreLab PassmoreLab started in San Diego in 2003. The company's staff is comprised of programmers and scientific engineers. The company also employs several graphic artists, videographers, a musical composer and even a biologist. PassmoreLab facilities include a full studio, post production facilities, an optical development lab and a software development environment. PassmoreLab is a firm with staff around the world in San Diego, South Africa and Russia.
[Texascavers] RE: Greg Passmore, Ox Bel Ha and Nohoch Nah Chich
Jim Kennedy posted: Original article is at http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/9/emw555971.htm Ox Bel Ha is the world's longest underwater cave and Nohach Nah Chich is the third longest. Filming difficult locations like the 83-mile-long Ox Bel Ha is nothing new to PassmoreLab. This article seems to be using rather out-of-date information. Nohoch Nah Chich was connected to Sistema Sac Actun back in January, and is now part of the second longest underwater cave in the world, Sistema Sac Actun (98 miles long). Also, Ox Bel Ha has grown by connection with Sistema Yax Chen East and is now over 102 miles long. See http://www.caves.org/project/qrss/new.htm. Mark Minton
