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This is the WKPP trip to Mexico . The following should answer
everyone's questions about this trip. I have never been to Merida, I
have no clue what we are doing, I am just one of the divers. I will be
doing what the project directors want done. Of course, we will be diving
WKPP rules all the way, but that is obvious, or I would not be involved.
I will be diving whatever cave they tell me to dive, and go do whatever
they want done in those caves.
If anyone has any questions or concerns, or just wants to be an
asshole and complain about me or the other WKPP guys, talk to U of Texas
, or get off of your fat assess and go show us how it is done, or shut
up about it.
Apparently, this guy Iliffe, whom I do not know , has already
exhausted the potential supply of battlehsip mouths out there in the big
time cave diving community who for one reason or anther have bailed out
on him after much swaggering step-aside-for the Cis Lunar rebreather fat
man scooter experts with somebody elses money , so we ended up doing the
deal.
Results talk, bullshit walks , again. Read on. I am sick of the
rumors. My next Mexcian trip, a week later, is to go sailfishing in Isla
- no diving.
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Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 20:05:23 -0600
From: Brett Dodson/Linda Maddox <stelarlb@sw*.ne*>
Organization: Stellar Kennels
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To: kirvine@sa*.ne*
CC: Ken Sallot <ken@cl*.uf*.ed*>,
Jess Armantrout <armantrout@wo*.at*.ne*>,
Chuck Noe <chuck.noe@cw*.co*>, Bill Mee <wwm@sa*.ne*>,
Chuck Noe <chuck.noe@in*.co*>,
"Dawn N. Kernagis" <75501.3702@Co*.Co*>,
"Derek S. Hagler" <afn34331@af*.or*>, John Rose
<rose@cs*.sc*.ed*>,
"Scarabin, Brent" <BrentScarabin@ne*.co*>
Subject: Re: Fw: Merida trip
References: <199902221304.IAA08499@cl*.uf*.ed*> <36D1EC41.6D94@sa*.ne*>
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> This is the formal proposal for the Research submited.
> Introduction
In June 1998, a team of divers led by Thomas Iliffe
conducted three exploratory dives in Cenote X'lacah. These dives were
carried out in cooperation with the Secretaria de Ecologia, the Universidad
Autonoma de Yucatan and the Asociacin Yucateca de Espeleobuceo under a permit
from INAH. More than 300 m of new cave passage was explored and
surveyed at an average depth of 45 m. This passage ranged from 20 to 30 m wide
and 10 m from floor to ceiling with a maximum depth of 53 m. This passage
was surveyed, biological collections were made from the cave and water
quality was determined with a Hydrolab. A halocline (saltwater boundary
zone) was discovered at a depth of 52.6 m. The position of the cave passage
near the halocline suggests that it may have been formed by mixing
corrosion between fresh and saltwater in a similar fashion to which caves
from coastal areas of Quintana Roo were created. As these Quintana Roo
caves include the longest underwater caves in the world, it would not be
surprising to find that the Cenote X'lacah cave could be of extraordinary
length and importance.
The results of these investigations were publicly
presented at the November 1998 "Encuentro Internacional de Espeleobuceo en
Yucatan".
Proposed studies
Cave exploration
A second diving expedition to investigate and explore
Cenote X'lacah is here proposed for March 1999. These studies will again
be coordinated through INAH, the Secretaria de Ecologia, the
Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan and the Asociacin Yucateca de Espeleobuceo. A
team of 13 cave divers will arrive in Merida on Friday 12th of March and
will depart one week later on Sat 20th of March. The dive team will consist of
5 divers from Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) and 9
divers have been invited from the Wakulla Karst Plain Project
(WKPP) to accompany us. These are the most experienced cave divers
in the world and currently hold the world record for a 5,000 m penetration
into a cave at depths of 80 to 90 m. Check out their web page at:
http://www.wkpp.org/. They plan to fly out of Miami on
Fri. Mar.12 and arrive in Merida at 3:05 PM. Six of them will return to
Florida on Wed. Mar. 17, while the others will leave sometime between Tues.
and Sat. The Florida divers will carry out extended penetrations into the
cave using underwater
scooters and open circuit scuba with mixed gas procedures. Using these
techniques, they can
potentially explore and survey the cave passage for distances
in excess of 2 km - six times the present known length of the cave.
Scientific collaboration
The TAMUG divers will conduct, along with a group of
Mexican researchers, coordinated by Roger Medina (UADY), collaborative
scientific studies of the cave and the external water body, including
biological, water quality and hydrological investigations.
The scientific studies include morphometrical and
physiochemical measurements, and biological quantitative sampling of benthos,
phyto and zooplankton along a depth and light gradient from the surface to
the interior of the cave on a temporal basis.
Permission has thus been requested from INAH to carry out diving
and biological investigations of Cenote X'lacah from 13 through 20 March 1999.
Expedition goals
(1) To explore and survey the Cenote X'lacah from the exposed
portions to the cave using advanced cave diving procedures including scooters
and open circuit mixed gas procedures.
(2) To collect biological specimens using plankton nets, baited
traps, core samplers and visual collection techniques.
(3) To document water quality of the whole water body, especially
within the cave in regards to a halocline that was discovered in 1998 at
a depth of 52.6 m.
(4) To use current meters to determine the magnitude and direction
of water currents.
(5) To explore the breakdown mound beneath the cenote pool for a
possible continuation of the cave passage in the opposite direction.
(6) To film and photographically document the cave passage with
special emphasis on geological features including passage morphology and
bottom sediments.
(7) To collect sediment cores which should provide data on
sediment age and temporal patterns of water movement through the cave.
(8) To measure scallop size and cross section providing data on
past current direction and velocity. (Scallops are dimple-like
indentations in the cave wall produced by turbulent eddies.)
Benefits of the research
These studies will provide a wide description of the
ecosystem and confirm the existence of a large phreatic passage that acts as an
underground river in transporting runoff from the Peninsula. This is the first
time that such a
cave has been discovered in the State of Yucatan. If the cave system is still
hydrologically
active and is responsible for draining a large area of the Peninsula
north of Merida, environmental and ecological implications are substantial.
Water
management and planning decisions will be facilitated. Data collected during
the project will
assist in developing regional geological and hydrological models. Biological
investigations will
likely result in the discovery of new cave adapted species and the distribution
of specimens along
the physical gradients (i.e. depth and light). A better appreciation of the
subterranean
resources of the Yucatan Peninsula will aid in their protection and
preservation.
Disposition of scientific results
Within two weeks of the conclusion of the expedition, a preliminary report will
be submitted to
INAH and other cooperating institutions. Scientific data will be published in
appropriate
national and international journals with copies of the articles provided to
INAH. A popular article describing the expedition will be published in
the Mexican diving magazine "Espacio profundo".
Slides and video from the expedition will be presented at
the 1999 "Encuentro Internacional de Espeleobuceo en Yucatan".
*********************************************
Dr. Thomas M. Iliffe
Dept. of Marine Biology
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Galveston, TX 77553-1675
(409) 740-4454 (office); (409) 740-5001 (fax)
iliffet@ta*.ta*.ed*
*********************************************
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