Fatal bat disease, white-nose syndrome, reaches Ohio

A white fungus is visible on the center bat's nose.
It will spread to his companions and kill most, if
not all, of the bats living in an abandoned mine in
the Wayne National Forest.

A mysterious affliction that has killed at least a million bats in the eastern United States has reached Ohio.

Wildlife officials have confirmed the first Ohio case of white-nose syndrome in bats hibernating in an abandoned mine in the Wayne National Forest in Lawrence County, the Department of Natural Resources announced this morning.

The fatal disease was first found in a New York cave in 2006. It has since spread through 15 states and two Canadian provinces, as scientists scramble to try to understand it.

A fungus, Geomyces destructans, grows into white tufts on a bat's nose then spreads to other bats. The fungus does not kill the bats directly, but seems to cause them to rouse from hibernation too often and too early, which leads to starvation.

Humans can transport the fungal spores on their shoes, clothes and gear from contaminated caves and mines. Officials are asking that people help slow the spread of white-nose by staying out of caves and mines.

The fungus requires cool temperatures and does not affect humans.

Underwater cave-mapping sensor

Groundwater voyager: 

An SwRI-developed miniature robot sensor creates a map of submerged caves and channels

by Ronald T. Green, Ph.D., and Ben Abbott, Ph.D

Cavers, geologists and hydrologists frequently rely on instruments carried by human divers to generate reliable maps of underwater caverns through which groundwater enters, moves about and then exits from karst limestone aquifers. Information gathered from these dives is collected and analyzed, then generalized to create a reasonable estimate of the size of the cave network, waterbearing capacity, ease of recharge and sensitivity to pollution or contamination.

Aside from the hazard to human safety, exploring aquifers and underwater caverns in this manner is limited in some cases by sheer distance and in others by channel segments that are too narrow to accommodate a human diver.

Some limited information about groundwater behavior can be gained indirectly by means of tracers, such as dyes introduced at a recharge feature and then tracked to the place where they emerge at a spring or well. 

However, to map the actual limestone corridors through which groundwater flows requires a mechanical system that can gather, store and transmit dimensional data as it travels with the groundwater’s flow. This requires a system that is small, inexpensive, non-polluting, safe, autonomous, self-powered and able to communicate electronically with receiving equipment once it has emerged. 

A team of hydrologists and electrical engineers at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed a neutrally buoyant sensor to remotely characterize the path, dimension and morphology of caves and other underground conduits and cavities. The patent-pending system was developed under internal funding, and the units were constructed using off-the-shelf components whenever possible to minimize the cost. 

Avalanche training using a pulse beacon

Mammut has put together a nice simulation and training tool for their Pulse Barryvox beacon ($360-$450)

The Barryvox is a digital beacon with a sensitive motion detection system that can transmit "life signs" to other Pulse beacons. Efficient for fine searches and for multiple-beacon scenarios. Search strip width: 50m.

The search simulation and training tool will help you to understand the different phases involved in a search for avalanche victims.

8th European Symposium on Speleological Explorations, 23-25 Sept 2011 - Marbella - España

2011 gathering of all European cavers from the 19th to the 25th of September in Marbella in southern Spain.

Book review: 'The Land of Painted Caves' by Jean M. Auel

The wrap-up of this series about a prehistoric superwoman can be slow going at times, but there's much to leave fans wanting still more.

It's been 31 years since readers were introduced to Ayla, a 5-year-old orphaned Cro-Magnon girl adopted by Neanderthals in "The Clan of the Cave Bear," the first book in Jean Auel's Earth's Children series. "The Land of Painted Caves," her sixth and final installment, picks up where "The Shelters of Stone" left off. Ayla is now mated to Jondalar and mother to a baby girl, Jonayla. She's come a long way from the outcast of the first book.

Over the years, her journey has engrossed fans and turned the series into a bestselling phenomenon — more than 45 million books sold. No small feat considering that the books average about 700 pages. But readers have loved the uncertainty of Ayla's hazardous future as well as the detail Auel brings to Ayla's world. (The only thing more detailed than one of Auel's descriptive passages is probably an entry in an encyclopedia.)

Maquoketa caves closed, park still open

New caves explored and mapped

Eleven new caves have been explored in Meghalaya during an 18-day expedition carried out by a team of 21 cavers last month.

The expedition began on February 7 and the team comprised cavers from the UK, Switzerland, Austria, Romania, Germany, a commander from the Indian Navy and members of the Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association. They camped in Umkyrpong and Kseh areas of Jaintia Hills district.

During the expedition, four existing or partially explored caves were further explored and extended while 11 new caves were explored.

Information was also collected about nine more caves while a total of 9.5km of new cave passage was explored and mapped.

According to association general secretary Brian D. Kharpran Daly, the 2011 expedition found that in the Umkhrypong/Kopili area, Krem Diengjem had extended from 6,660m to 6,788mm.

Fort Stanton Cave Study Project receives national conservation award

The Snowy River Passage, discovered in 2001, is now
thought to be the longest cave formation in the world.

The Fort Stanton Cave Study Project received the first-ever Conversation Leadership Award from the Conservation Lands Foundation.

The award recognizes outstanding leadership to advance the protection of the National Conservation Lands through visionary, innovative and strategic projects.

The Fort Stanton Cave Study Project, located northeast of the historic Fort Stanton near Capitan works to enhance the understanding of the complex underground Fort Stanton Cave system by working closely with internationally recognized cave scientists in fields including biology, hydrology (water studies), geology, precision survey and cartography.

Victorian cave diver's body found

Agnes Milowka died doing what she loved best

 World renowned cave diver Agnes Milowka ran out of air and suffocated after becoming disorientated, says a fellow diver who has seen her body.

r Richard Harris, a close friend of 29-year-old Ms Milowka, is part of the retrieval team which has been trying to clear the way for police divers to pull her body from Tank Cave, near Mount Gambier.

Dr Harris, who has seen Ms Milowka's body submerged in 20m of water about 550m from the cave entrance, says she did not become trapped before her death.

"It looks like she has remained very calm right to the very last breath while she has been working to extricate herself," he says.

"When you are in a very narrow part of a cave, visibility turns to zero very quickly."

He says Ms Milowka was an "aggressive diver" who was on the cutting edge of her sport.

Body of missing diver Agnes Milowka recovered from Tank Cave

Agnes Milowka was drawn to the eerie beauty of her underwater world.

Ms Milowka's body was brought to the surface of Tank Cave, near Millicent, South Australia, by members of the Cave Divers of Association just before 4pm.

Limestone Coast Superintendent Trevor Twilley said divers had managed to reach Ms Milowka's body in just 32 minutes this morning.

"(It) is much shorter than it has been in the past and reflected the efforts of divers who have, in the last two days, cleared the channels," Supt Twilley said.

"Unfortunately, they had a little bit of difficulty in the extremity of the chamber where Agnes is located."

Supt Twilley said the Cave Divers' Association divers had to wait about three hours between dives for the silt to settle.

"In this morning's dive they probably had about 18 inches of visibility at the best, at other times zero visibility," he said.