We would need to do some testing in a good geotech lab as the properties are different for materials that are wet verses dry, lithofied verse unlithofied, compacted, or altered by weathering or leaching, susceptible to liquefaction from vibration, etc. The laboratory work would need to be done and then compared to field measurements in a number of caves. What we may find is that some guano slopes may be at the angle of failure and would need to be shot with some sort of carbide driven crapalanche cannon before it would be safe to walk under.
I think the deadline for submittal of abstracts for the ICS has passed but this would make an excellent paper and I'm sure would be a well attended talk. Also, I think that a crapalanche is a subset of craptastrophe as you could have a craptastrophe in a feed lot, sewer lift station, or waste water treatment plant and not involve the mass movement of guano. For example, having a pipe break at a sewer plant resulting in raw sewage flowing down the street and into my front door would be a craptastrophe but not a crapalanche. Interesting discussion. G From: J. LaRue Thomas [mailto:jlrbi...@sonoratx.net] Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 8:04 AM To: Texascavers@texascavers.com Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Philosophical question Both craptastrophe and crapalanche could be describing a slide at a feed lot. We need a bat-specific term. Chiropteralanche wouldn't quite be it, as it would imply a slide of the bats themselves, but you can see what I mean... BTW, Anybody know the angle of repose of guano? Jacqui
