POOR AIR, 2007

cap 'n chris said:
whitelackington said:
Have any scientific test been done in Mendip caves to see if we have any unusual bacteria eating our walls.
:confused:
Click to expand...

Not to my knowledge. Are you on about extremophiles/dark life?
Click to expand...

Yes, I have now read the book three times, The M.C.G. wanted me to explain it to them, might have to read it a fourth.
 
Bad air in GB won't be a problem after it connects with UFS. A loverly strong through draught will keep the air really sweet. Just don't let the gunge in Manor Farm leak into the master cave!.
 
cap 'n chris said:
4) Surface vegatation, humic acid/acid aggressivity - water entering the cave dissolving the limestone resulting in release of CO2
Click to expand...

Dissolving Limestone consumes CO2 The absorbtion of Co2 into water creates carbonic acid which, via a complex series of reactions dissolves the limestone.

Deposition of calcite, ie. speleothems, is due to the solution giving up CO2 and being unable to carry the load of disolved calcite, therby depositing it.

Therefore: Disolving limestone = CO2 in solution. Depositing calcite = CO2 back in the atmosphere.  :read:
 
Yes, you're right. I should have put "subsequently" in front of "resulting"; the acidic water becomes saturated on it's journey into a cave chamber, whereupon it will release CO2 as calcite is precipitated from solution. So, it's not the dissolving of the limestone which releases CO2 but the subsequent process of creation of speleothems which involves the CO2 release. Anyway, thanks for your correction, Les.
 
martinr said:
Yes, about 6 years ago. Keep meaning to go back as I only live about 2 miles away.
Click to expand...


If you go back in the near future I'd be interested in your findings......

If you come back alive......

Teehee!  :o
 
Les W said:
cap 'n chris said:
4) Surface vegatation, humic acid/acid aggressivity - water entering the cave dissolving the limestone resulting in release of CO2
Click to expand...

Dissolving Limestone consumes CO2 The absorbtion of Co2 into water creates carbonic acid which, via a complex series of reactions dissolves the limestone.

Deposition of calcite, ie. speleothems, is due to the solution giving up CO2 and being unable to carry the load of disolved calcite, therby depositing it.

Therefore: Disolving limestone = CO2 in solution. Depositing calcite = CO2 back in the atmosphere.  :read:
Click to expand...

So is bad air not just nature's way of giving the cave a rest as it regenerates! :)

Thus bad air is good for caves!

 
Sorry going all the way back to the post on the mines on the peaks. Did they used to be artifically ventilated?
 
Dis Water Icickle
a couple of years ago, air was fairly bad but O.k. if you moved slowly
so as to consume less of it.
One of the problems, i think, is experiencing bad air for the first time.
Your natural reaction is to want to get away from the bad air quickly.  However, if you move fast, so you breath much faster, you consume far greater quantities of air, more quickly.
Also compounded, if with a large group, and all saying I can't breath, "Lets get the f*** out of here"! :ras:
 
whitelackington said:
Dis Water Icickle
a couple of years ago, air was fairly bad but O.k. if you moved slowly
so as to consume less of it.
One of the problems, i think, is experiencing bad air for the first time.
Your natural reaction is to want to get away from the bad air quickly.  However, if you move fast, so you breath much faster, you consume far greater quantities of air, more quickly.
Also compounded, if with a large group, and all saying I can't breath, "Lets get the f*** out of here"! :ras:
Click to expand...

Good advice: to avoid the effects of poor air, stop breathing - or at least breathe less.

Seriously, though, try and avoid the Corporal Jones over-reaction approach - it's often best to not even mention any suspicions of poor air to others unaware of it within the group but to simply abort the trip and make steady progress to the surface. 
 
so do we need a sufficiently severe cold snap to clense the cave? what about severe flooding does that drag clean air into to the cave? or the fact that with flooding normally mild temperature so does not help at all
 
With regard to an enormous void like G.B.Cavern,
bad air is very surprizing.
I can understand that if say half a dozen cavers were in a hole, say Bertie's Pot,
Then they could use up all the good air and experience bad air,
however, after they climbed up and re-entered the huge void, the problem would be got away from.
What on earth could cause virtually the whole of G.B. cavern, including the largest underground void in England to suffer from bad air. :confused:
 
whitelackington said:
What on earth could cause virtually the whole of G.B. cavern, including the largest underground void in England to suffer from bad air. :confused:
Click to expand...

We don't know. It's a mystery.

Pixies. Most likely.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

andrewmcleod
CHECC Grand Prize - EUSS Daren Cilau through trip
Replies
5
Views
3K
Trig Gledhill
Trig Gledhill
Mark R
Banging below ? A dirty night
Replies
1
Views
2K
damo8604
damo8604
cap n chris
POOR AIR, SUMMER 2005
2 3
Replies
54
Views
18K
cap n chris
cap n chris
Back
Top