The Mine Shafts Project. Hydrology.

[The Old Ruminator]

Yesterdays collage.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

A good day yesterday at THITW. 68 loads removed. Water at 2022 level . Will we reach the flooded adit this year ?

 

[The Old Ruminator]

That was The Hole In The Wall dig number 96. 19m achieved in solid rock in 96 trips. The lost caverns linger somewhere ahead. Hopefully.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

A brief catch up with yesterdays report and photos.

A good team of four yesterday ( some in party frocks ). The shaft water level was down about 100mm from last time. All set to work clearing and then chiselling. Another tub record set. I did 73 and Brian the 74th. This HITW dig number 98. Thats an average of 0.193877551 metres per session. The face is exactly 19m in from the platform with another metre probed in the clay vugh. Total five hours.

Despite the drought the 2026 level ( double line ) remains disappointing.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

We were hoping to reach the base adit level shown on the graph as at 7.5m below the marker. 2022 came close but has not been repeated. Below adit level the flooded shaft goes down another 17m despite all the rocks dropped down there.

Mike with the 2m probe from the 17m wall pin to the face.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Probing 1m onward in the mud filled vugh.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

The old fellow is asleep again.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Tub transfer station.





All of the space in the 19m long dig except the tiny vugh has been " engineered ".

 

[The Old Ruminator]

That AI thingy can be quite naughty at times.



Anyway the 100th Hole In The Wall Dig today so maybe more silliness.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Today at THITW was a special day for us.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Poor Mike quite lost his head.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

A good bagging session and the mud filled vugh is getting bigger.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

After he pulled his head out of the hole.



At the end we poked the roof. Now it needs clearing again.



We have a plan. He does the work and I take the photos.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

I must remind myself to be sensible on here ---

Yesterdays work at The Hole In The Wall encountered a steeply descending hypogenic tube ( bottom right on survey )partly filled with dry clay and rubble. It extends down dip in the lode for over three metres. Whether its good or bad for prospects I really don’t now.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Malachite, Azurite and Chalcocite I think.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Main barite lode in orange top left. The line depicts the open vugh formed by rising hypogenic water.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

The undug hypogenic vugh going steeply down dip.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

A rock brought up yesterday with Porifera fossils.



Unusual side on view.



More usual bisected view.



Crystalline structure on the other side of the rock.



In this instance the Porifera are about 40mm long. They are sponges not coral.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Over 70's welcome.