Possible Earthquake in the Mojave?

30 January 2009

Image: Lounging around in Sprig Cave. From left, back and to right - Tim, Dave, Greg, Dan and me. Credit: Amanda Stockton.

We continue to make great progress here in the Mojave. We have an impressively dedicated team. I am proud to lead such a group of professional and hard-working cavers.

Today, Dan’s team completed the sketch map and volumetric mapping of Sprig Cave. Dan in quite pleased with the equipment he has designed to collect volumetric data; it appears both mapping teams are becoming proficient at mapping cave volume.

Image: Another scary dark hole that we will have to go into. Credit: Dan Ruby.

Tim and I went to Bumble Bee Cave, we deployed sensors in this feature as well. We are moving right along and well ahead of schedule.

Dan, Tim and I went into to Barstow to eat tonight. We went to the infamous Bun Boy. If you’ve never eaten at the Bun Boy, then you ain’t living. It doesn’t look like much from outside, but culinary delights await you once you pass through those doors framed in the 1960s. The past few times I’ve eaten there, I go with the Gyro Platter – plenty of food…man, it is good!

While chatting at dinner, Dan mentioned that he thinks he felt a small earthquake during the night last night…I didn’t feel anything b/c I was sleeping in vehicle. We’ll need to check to see if there was an earthquake reported in the area for last night…

Upon our arrival back to camp, I decided to pull out the guitar. After an almost two year hiatus from playing, the calluses on my fingers have returned. I’m remembering many songs that I used to play and I’m learning new songs once again. So, although quite rusty, I played by the camp fire for about an hour before calling it a night.

Another excellent day in the beautiful Mojave Desert!

Image: Dan's mapping team mapping the collapse pit associated with the southern entrance of Sprig Cave. Sabine featured here. Credit: Dan Ruby.

A Chuckwalla on the Flow...

29 January 2009

Image: Moving through tight passage in Drop Cave. Credit: Tim Titus.

Doug’s team continued to map Drop Cave. This will likely take them a couple more days to complete this cave. All is going well, and Doug’s team is proving to be incredibly proficient at the mapping techniques and negotiating the rappel.

Tim and I joined Dan’s mapping team at Sprig Cave. His team continued mapping and we successfully deployed sensors within this cave.

Image: This chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) was observed moving across the flow. I didn't see one chuckwalla this trip. However, when I was on this flow in April 2008, I saw these critters daily. Credit: Dave Decker.

Unfortunately, Doug had to return home. James stepped in and continued the mapping effort. He, Greg and Sabine spent one more day at Drop Cave.

Image: Greg navigating tight passage in Sprig Cave. Credit: Dave Decker.

The weather is excellent here in the Mojave. At night the temperatures are dropping into the mid-30s and it’s in the high 60s to low 70s during the day. This has made our time out here quite comfortable.

Image: Relaxing by the fire after a long day in the field. Credit: Tim Titus

On Rope on Day Two!

28 January 2009

Image: Scouting out a location to place the temperature sensor. Credit: Tim Titus.

We started off the first official day of working on rope. The cave where we were working required a 40 ft rappel into a skylight. I’m calling this cave Drop Cave. This entrance was excavated by cavers many years ago. They observed blowing air through a small crack and opened it wide enough to rig ropes to rappel into it.

This feature has not received much traffic, which made it an excellent candidate for our study. Tim and I went through the cave and deployed sensors within.

This morning, Doug, Denise and James began mapping this cave. It consisted of three skylight entrances, and has large booming passage. This may be the largest known cave on the lava flow.

Image: Sabine using a frog device to climb up rope and out of the cave. Credit: James Rice.

In one room, this cave contained what appeared to be the skeleton of a bobcat. Apparently, this cat fell into the cave and survived at least long enough to move a considerable distance from the closest entrance. I find it rather impressive that a bobcat could survive a 40ft fall. However, there is a possibility this cat found a way to climb into the cave unbeknownst to us. Unfortunately, someone walked away with the skull. Only the mandible and other bones remain.

Tim and I were finished before the mapping team. So, we climbed out and went to one of our non-cave features, where we then deployed sensors within this feature.

Dan’s team mapped Sprig Cave. This cave is rather mazy with considerable passage. We anticipate it will take a couple of days to both sketch and collect volumetric data of this cave.

Day 1: Orientation and Training Day

27 January 2009

Image: Sitting around the fire pit during the expedition and safety briefings. Left to right: Dan, me and Sabine. Credit: Dave Decker.

When one thinks of the Mojave, the hottest desert in the American Southwest, it doesn’t register that it can also be incredibly cold. During the winter, low temperatures can range well below freezing. Our team was welcomed to the Mojave those nighttime temperatures. Last night, it was darn cold! I had a 15 degree bag and wool blanket and my feet were frozen most of the night. Thankfully, the weather forecast is that it will become increasingly warmer throughout the next 10 days.

The team trickled in last night, and I was among one of the last members to arrive. I got hung up in Flagstaff, and had to drive through bad weather until I dropped down off the Mogollon Rim. Snow was falling sporadically yet heavily in places until I reached Kingman. So, it was slow goings until I reached the desert lowlands.

Image: Denise Hill (Safety Chief) demonstrating how to tie a diaper sling. Credit: Dave Decker.

Today was the orientation and training day. I went over expedition goals, identified the expedition chain of command, and addressed overall project objectives. Denise, our safety chief and medical specialist went over basic first aid, typical rescue situations and then we did a knot review. Thereafter, Dan led the cartography training; he walked us through the mapping techniques to be applied during this expedition. All of this took up most of the morning.

Once we went addressed everything related to project orientation, we spent the latter half of the day in the field. Tim and I began investigating potential study sites, while Dan took everyone else to a large non-cave feature to continue the cartography training.

We determined we will have three teams on this trip – the sensor deployment team (Tim and I), and two mapping teams (everyone else).

Image: Dan is leading a training exercise. The cartorgraphy teams are being taught how to use the new volumetric mapping techniques that we developed. Credit: Dave Decker.

2009 Mojave Desert Expedition, NASA/SETI Earth-Mars Cave Detection Project

26 January - 02 February 2009

Image: The Sunshine Mountains constrain the southern extent of the lava flow where we will be working in the Mojave Desert. Credit: Queeg.

Phase II of the Earth-Mars Cave Detection Project has two study sites -- the Atacama and Mojave Deserts. The 2008 Atacama Expedition Team garnered much success in northern Chile. I am confident we will be equally successful in the Mojave.

No photo. Jut Wynne (No. I; Expedition Lead). In addition to leading all field campaigns for this project, I am also the project manager.

Tim Titus (No. II in Command; Sensor Deployment). Tim is a co-investigator on this project, and is assisting in sensor deployment. He is also the lead modeler; using the data collected in the field, he will be developing cave thermal behavior models for both terrestrial caves, as well as models to simulate how a Martian cave will behave thermally. These models will ultimately be used to identify cave detection times, and will enable us to schedule aerial overflights with the thermal imaging camera accordingly.

Dan Ruby (No. III in Command; Cartography Chief). Dan is a veteran of the Atacama Desert Expedition. With other Atacama team members, he has been refined our volumetric mapping techniques. He will be leading this component of the expedition. Dan is also a newly elected member into The Explorers Club.



Denise Hill (Medical Specialist/ Safety Chief). Denise is responsible for making sure we all get home safe. She is an EMT and is our safety chief. What she says goes. If she feels a cave or given situation is unsafe, she makes the “no-go” call. The entire team will follow her lead.


Queeg (Base Camp; aka Poppa Bear). This man was an unforeseen blessing. He is a member of the Desert Dog Troglodytes out of California, and has coordinated many of their outings. He is our “Poppa Bear” -- our central command. He will have coordinates to all of our study sites, and each team will radio to him their exact location and when they will move the next location. He will keep a log of our movements on the lava flow, and has all the numbers to contact first responders in the event of an emergency.

Sabine Airieau (Mapping Assistant/ Instruments). Sabine is an accomplished rock climber and astrobiologist.







No photo. Doug Billings (Cartographer/ Sketcher). Doug is a long-time friend of mine, and one of the owners of Cathedral Cave Preserve. He has been a lead cartographer and sketcher for many international expeditions, and it is an honor to have him developing maps for this project.

Dave Decker (Cartographer/ Sketcher). Dave will be serving as a lead cartographer and sketcher.








Greg Flores (Mapping Assistant/ Instruments). Greg is an accomplished caver and has worked extensively on the North Rim with my friend and colleague Kyle Voyles.





James Rice (Mapping Assistant/ Instruments). James is an experienced caver and has completed numerous international expeditions. He will be operating instruments as part of the mapping effort.




Amanda Stockton (Microbiologist/ Mapping Assistant) Amanda is a rock climber and is a graduate student at UC-Berkeley. She will be assisting us in the mapping effort, and evaluating caves as part of an upcoming proposal we plan to submit to investigate microbial life in caves.

The MTB Crash -- 06 December 2008

Image: This shot was taken about 20 minutes after the crash. My "war paint" had already dried on my face. Credit: Brian Cannon.

Well, upon being back in country less than 24 hours, I decided to go mountain biking down in Sedona. It was the last chance I was going to have to go for a spin with one of my good buddies, Brian Cannon. He and his fiance, Ellie, were moving to Oregon the next week.

Oddly enough, I'm sitting in my kitchen right before Brian was to arrive to pick me up, and I thought to myself, "I'm really beat, I should probably bag on mountain biking in Sedona."

Well, I didn't and less than 15 minutes into the ride, I had my biggest crash on a mountain bike. I went down a hill that I had successfully cleaned at least three times in the past. This time, I hit rock, my front tire seized and I went over the bars. My face broke my fall. I must admit, it didn't feel too good.

My buddy Dustin was also with us. He is an EMT and he rushed to me, picked me up, and leaned me up against a rock. And he began to look me over. My face was covered in blood, I had rather large diggers on both knees and I had a rather large gash on my right collar bone.

After the impact, I was in pretty good pain for about one to two minutes, then I stood up and proclaimed, "I'm okay." I then closed my mouth to exhale out of my nose. When I did that, I blew blood bubbles through the gash underneath my nose. Both Dusty and Brian looked and me and said, "NO! You're not alright."

Well, this meant I was going to the hospital for stitches. It took 13 under the nose to sew me up.

I felt really bad that I blew the MTB trip for my buddies. But we all realize that when we do these sorts of activities, we're at risk of getting hurt. In so doing, we all recognize that we are there for each other, and that if one of us gets hurt we do everything we can to get that person back to safety. My buddies really took care me on this day. I really appreciate everything they did for me.

Summary of events from 01-04 December 2008

Image: The view looking out of one of the windows at Dos Ventanas Cave.

This trip went well really. Alicia and I were able to visit and evaluate four additional caves, I was able to meet with CONAF officials and the Governor of the island. I also had the opportunity to meet a Polish Cave Expedition team. So, this trip was highly successful.

Of the study sites for next summer, many of them contained well-developed moss gardens. These moss gardens are of particular interest to me. I wonder whether these have been intact since historic times and if so, do they support relict populations.

Most notably, I was able to establish a collaboration with the Polish expedition team. This team was searching for and mapping caves throughout the island. They have agreed to provide me with their maps once they have been drafted. This will be vitally important to our work this summer. We will be able to focus on studying the biodiversity and identifying caves suitable for archaeological excavation, and will not need to be mapping caves as well. This will save us a lot of time.

Image: While with the Nat Geo team, Alicia brought her guitar and played us a few songs in the cave. This was a great treat for all of us.

Also, the Polish team was partially supported by the National Geographic Expeditions Council, and a Nat Geo film crew was on the island covering their expedition. During this time, I was able to spend one day with the film crew and the Polish team. This was very interesting to me because I was able to see how they were setting up their story board for the documentary. This was really cool.

I'm really looking forward to my return to the island in June/July. Rapa Nui is an amazing place. It has quite a grip on me.

Image: Alicia inspecting two skulls found by the Polish Expedition Team. These skulls were likely placed within this side passage for tourists. Note the mandibles on both skulls. Bone had infilled several of the tooth sockets. These skulls likely belonged to older people.