recent explorations in krubera-voronja cave, western ...zharkov/cavex1/doc/congress.pdfrecent...
TRANSCRIPT
Recent explorations in Krubera-Voronja cave,
Western Caucasus, Abkhazia
Denis Provalov and Ilia Zharkov
Team Cavex
14th International Congress of Speleology
Athens, Greece
August 25, 2005
• History
• Depth measurements
• Puzzles and mysteries
Potential for a greater depth?
History of exploration
• 1960: Georgian karst explorers
Found and then explored to ∼180 m
• The early 80s: Kiev Club
Explored to ∼340 meters
History of exploration
• 1960: Georgian karst explorers
Found and then explored to ∼180 m
• The early 80s: Kiev Club
Explored to ∼340 meters
History of exploration
• 1960: Georgian karst explorers
Found and then explored to ∼180 m
• The early 80s: Kiev Club
Explored to ∼340 meters
• 1999 August: Ukranian team Second Echelon
A window at -230 m led to -700 meters
Non-Kuibyshevskaya branch to -490 m
• 2000 August: Second Echelon
Continued to -1200 meters
• 2000 September: UkrSA and MTDE team
Continued to -1410 meters
• 2001 January: UkrSA and Cavex team
A window at -1350 m led to a sump -1430
Then a side passage at -1420 led to -1710 meters
• 1999 August: Ukranian team Second Echelon
A window at -230 m led to -700 meters
Non-Kuibyshevskaya branch to -490 m
• 2000 August: Second Echelon
Continued to -1200 meters
• 2000 September: UkrSA and MTDE team
Continued to -1410 meters
• 2001 January: UkrSA and Cavex team
A window at -1350 m led to a sump -1430
Then a side passage at -1420 led to -1710 meters
• 1999 August: Ukranian team Second Echelon
A window at -230 m led to -700 meters
Non-Kuibyshevskaya branch to -490 m
• 2000 August: Second Echelon
Continued to -1200 meters
• 2000 September: UkrSA and MTDE team
Continued to -1410 meters
• 2001 January: UkrSA and Cavex team
A window at -1350 m led to a sump -1430
Then a side passage at -1420 led to -1710 meters
• 1999 August: Ukranian team Second Echelon
A window at -230 m led to -700 meters
Non-Kuibyshevskaya branch to -490 m
• 2000 August: Second Echelon
Continued to -1200 meters
• 2000 September: UkrSA and MTDE team
Continued to -1410 meters
• 2001 January: UkrSA and Cavex team
A window at -1350 m led to a sump -1430
Then a side passage at -1420 led to -1710 meters
• 2003 August: Cavex and Kiev Club
Sump 1430 is passed and led to -1660 meters
• 2004 July: Cavex
Continued to sump at -1810 m
• 2004 August: UkrSA
Side passage at -1660 led to another sump at -1824
• 2004 October: UkrSA
Continued to -2080 meters
• 2003 August: Cavex and Kiev Club
Sump 1430 is passed and led to -1660 meters
• 2004 July: Cavex
Continued to sump at -1810 m
• 2004 August: UkrSA
Side passage at -1660 led to another sump at -1824
• 2004 October: UkrSA
Continued to -2080 meters
• 2003 August: Cavex and Kiev Club
Sump 1430 is passed and led to -1660 meters
• 2004 July: Cavex
Continued to sump at -1810 m
• 2004 August: UkrSA
Side passage at -1660 led to another sump at -1824
• 2004 October: UkrSA
Continued to -2080 meters
• 2003 August: Cavex and Kiev Club
Sump 1430 is passed and led to -1660 meters
• 2004 July: Cavex
Continued to sump at -1810 m
• 2004 August: UkrSA
Side passage at -1660 led to another sump at -1824
• 2004 October: UkrSA
Continued to -2080 meters
• 2001 August: UkrSA
Search in the bottom part (1420-1710)
• 2005 January: Cavex
Helicopter crash
• 2005 February: UkrSA
A sump at -1980 m is passed
• 2005 July: Cavex
Continued 35 meters down passed the sump 1980 m
to another sump
• 2001 August: UkrSA
Search in the bottom part (1420-1710)
• 2005 January: Cavex
Helicopter crash
• 2005 February: UkrSA
A sump at -1980 m is passed
• 2005 July: Cavex
Continued 35 meters down passed the sump 1980 m
to another sump
• 2001 August: UkrSA
Search in the bottom part (1420-1710)
• 2005 January: Cavex
Helicopter crash
• 2005 February: UkrSA
A sump at -1980 m is passed
• 2005 July: Cavex
Continued 35 meters down passed the sump 1980 m
to another sump
• 2001 August: UkrSA
Search in the bottom part (1420-1710)
• 2005 January: Cavex
Helicopter crash
• 2005 February: UkrSA
A sump at -1980 m is passed
• 2005 July: Cavex
Continued 35 meters down passed the sump 1980 m
to another sump
Depth measurements
(July-August 2005)
• Standard surveying:
Leiko Disto (ruler), Suunto tandem (compass + cli-
nometer)
• Hydro level device:
A tube filled with water with barometer attached at
the lower end
• Barometric (air pressure):
11 Suunto wrist watch altimeters (X6 and Vector)
Station Depth Survey Hydro Suunto
Meander Krym 230 224 224 224
Camp 500 480 482 484 484
Camp 700 700 673 685 684
Camp 1200 1215 1160 1187 1181
Camp 1400 1400 1365 1386 1377
Siphon 1430 1391 1412
Camp KSS 1640 1610 1630 1626
Camp 1800 1790 1797 1805
Bottom 2080 2047 2054 (+9)
Errors 17 8 ≈25
Standard survey
• 600 stations, 7 Survey teams from 5 countries:
Russia, Greece, Australia, Ukraine, England
• Leiko failed in wet places
• Error calculation:
– tape: 10 cm
– compass/clino: 2-3 degrees - gives 50 cm on 10 m
leg
– station location: 50 cm
Total estimated: 70 cm *√
600 ≈ 17 meters
Hydro level device
• Round trip - 147 stations each way
• Calibration twice every 15-20 stations
• Error calculation:
– Measurement readings: 5 cm
– Connecting end points: 25 cm
– Calibration: 2.2 meters every survey
Total:√
(2.2m ∗√
10)2 + (25cm ∗√
147)2 ≈ 8 meters
15
20
20
10
10
5
2550
0
x
15
15
20
20
10
10
5
2550
0
x
15
Calibration error calculation
tape = k ∗ hydro reading − b
∆k = 0.007 ∆b = 20 cm
∆k = 0.007 ∗ 200 meters = 1.4 meters
∆b = 20 cm ∗ 15 = 1.5 meters
Error =
√
(∆k)2 + (25cm ∗√
147)2 ≈ 2.2 meters
Suunto
• 11 wrist computers
• Measurements at 8 stations from 0 to -1800 meters
• Temperature compensation
∆ =
∫ d
00.004 ∆T(x) dx, ∆T(x) =
6
1400(x − 230)
Gives - 20 meters at the KSS camp (-1640m)
• Standard deviation ≈ 25 meters at the KSS camp
Enigmas
• Where is an underground river?
Entrance at 2254 m (connected to a geo station)
Bottom at 2254-2080=174 m
20 kilometers to the coast
• Where does the waters flows to?
(Color tracing in July 2005)
• Very slow temperature growth
+2◦C at the entrance and +7◦C at the bottom
• Water fills up the bottom part
Enigmas
• Where is an underground river?
Entrance at 2254 m (connected to a geo station)
Bottom at 2254-2080=174 m
20 kilometers to the coast
• Where does the waters flows to?
(Color tracing in July 2005)
• Very slow temperature growth
+2◦C at the entrance and +7◦C at the bottom
• Water fills up the bottom part
Enigmas
• Where is an underground river?
Entrance at 2254 m (connected to a geo station)
Bottom at 2254-2080=174 m
20 kilometers to the coast
• Where does the waters flows to?
(Color tracing in July 2005)
• Very slow temperature growth
+2◦C at the entrance and +7◦C at the bottom
• Water fills up the bottom part
Enigmas
• Where is an underground river?
Entrance at 2254 m (connected to a geo station)
Bottom at 2254-2080=174 m
20 kilometers to the coast
• Where does the waters flows to?
(Color tracing in July 2005)
• Very slow temperature growth
+2◦C at the entrance and +7◦C at the bottom
• Water fills up the bottom part
Enigmas
• Where is an underground river?
Entrance at 2254 m (connected to a geo station)
Bottom at 2254-2080=174 m
20 kilometers to the coast
• Where does the waters flows to?
(Color tracing in July 2005)
• Very slow temperature growth
+2◦C at the entrance and +7◦C at the bottom
• Water fills up the bottom part
Possibly nobody will ever see 2080 meters again