I think this is a great discussion to be having for a different situation, and it's definitely been proven that man-made entrances in caves change airflow, dynamics, etc. and is not the best solution to bad-air problems.
However, I really think it's unnecessary to be having this discussion about Honey Creek this weekend, as those of us who were down there will agree that the air there REALLY wasn't that bad...a little thin at worst. Calling the sump a "bad air passage" makes it sound like we did something dangerous or unsafe, when everyone down there was 100% OK the entire time. It's discussions like this, taken out of context, that give cavers a bad name and causes unnecessary worry. Mallory Mayeux On Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 11:34 AM, Louise Power <[email protected]>wrote: > Before you consider something like this, you might want to look into > Carlsbad Caverns findings on their various shafts like the elevator shaft. I > know 3" doesn't sound like much, but it will change the dynamics of the > cave. Maybe this situation simply means 20 plus cavers shouldn't be in > this bad-air passage at the same time. > > > Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 19:08:24 -0500 > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: [Texascavers] Honeycreek Cave air and related topics > > > > > If you have 20 something cavers in a small passage with bad air > > breathing heavily > > for 9 hours, do expect the oxygen level to improve or get worse ? > > > > I propose future trips take precautionary measures and release some > oxygen > > into the passage. > > > > It would be little use to install a big fan and flexible conduit to > > force some air into the shaft entrance > > because the air would distribute evenly throughout the whole cave and > > it would also block the entrance > > from easy in and out trips. > > > > Also, > > > > A tiny air shaft could be drilled, that could also be used to lower > > the diving gear into the room where > > the divers suit up at. > > > > Even a 3 inch diameter shaft would be helpful, because you could lower > > a telephone cable, or pump > > oxygen into the room, lower emergency food and water, etc. > > > > I propose a 3 inch shaft be drilled to confirm the exact location of > > the 1st sump, and then use the > > diver's survey to mark the surface where the cave is going. > > > > > > I would also like to propose that the TSA, TCMA, and every Texas caver > > unite behind a single goal, and > > I believe that goal should be to finish the map of Honeycreek. ( > > after ICS of course ) > > > > I hope I live long enough to see the TCMA acquire the Shaft Entrance > > and at least some sort of permanent > > access agreement to the Natural Entrance, like an easement. > > > > David Locklear > > caver in Fort Bend County > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > > >
