Quicksand at the bottom of a mine

[nachtjaeger]

In this mine, where it is hot enough to kill an unprotected human in minutes, female research scientists discover quicksand. Action starts at 54:10.

https://youtu.be/JSMVhUn8CKI?t=54m

[Fred588]

I found the whole video very interesting. About 15 years ago I did a research project in some volcanic caves in the caldera of Kilauea that were of similar temperature. My project involved collecting temperature data over a three-year period, so I had to visit each cave every few months, but each time for only a few minutes. Our duration of exposure was few minutes and about 20 minutes on one or two occasions. We monitored core temperature with sublingual thermometers (it was up to 102 in 15 minutes and that was time to go). We tried using a cooling vest filled with a polymer that froze at about 50 degrees (F) but it cool only where it contacted the skin and turned out to be useless in that environment. We looked into a sort of body suit that circulated coolant through tubes sewn into the fabric but those required an umbilical to the outside and was impractical fo that environment. Highest temperature I recorded was 154 F, with a dewpoint about 100.

Some of the caves "breathed" much like those reported in the video, and each blast of breath was hotter than between breaths. When learned to drop to the floor with each pulse. Once I recorded a temperature at the floor of 108 degrees and 134 at the ceiling, just three-feet up.

In this mine, where it is hot enough to kill an unprotected human in minutes, female research scientists discover quicksand. Action starts at 54:10.

https://youtu.be/JSMVhUn8CKI?t=54m

[nachtjaeger]

Indeed, I ended up staying up past my bedtime to watch the entire video. The Crystal Cave is amazing. Amazing how quickly our technology can fail when you get outside the envelope of what it's designed for. And amazing how quickly we humans break down when you take us out of the Goldilocks Zone.

I found the whole video very interesting. About 15 years ago I did a research project in some volcanic caves in the caldera of Kilauea that were of similar temperature. My project involved collecting temperature data over a three-year period, so I had to visit each cave every few months, but each time for only a few minutes. Our duration of exposure was few minutes and about 20 minutes on one or two occasions. We monitored core temperature with sublingual thermometers (it was up to 102 in 15 minutes and that was time to go). We tried using a cooling vest filled with a polymer that froze at about 50 degrees (F) but it cool only where it contacted the skin and turned out to be useless in that environment. We looked into a sort of body suit that circulated coolant through tubes sewn into the fabric but those required an umbilical to the outside and was impractical fo that environment. Highest temperature I recorded was 154 F, with a dewpoint about 100.

Some of the caves "breathed" much like those reported in the video, and each blast of breath was hotter than between breaths. When learned to drop to the floor with each pulse. Once I recorded a temperature at the floor of 108 degrees and 134 at the ceiling, just three-feet up.

In this mine, where it is hot enough to kill an unprotected human in minutes, female research scientists discover quicksand. Action starts at 54:10.

https://youtu.be/JSMVhUn8CKI?t=54m

[Fred588]

Interesting in two more ways to me:

First, one of the people in the video, Penny Boston, is someone I have met at National Speleological Society meetings.

Second, however, there is at least one major exaggeration or piece of bad data. Early in the video they describe the temperature as 113F and the dewpoint as about 90, and they identify that as deadly in a short time. The volcanic caves I used were more like 125 to 130 F (one extreme of 154 was recorded by a data logger while I was not present) and we estimated the dew point as roughly 100 F. There was visible water vapor in the air and water would condense ONTO one's skin. That means the volcanic caves were both hotter and more humid.

We covered our skin as much as possible to minimize the condensation and we had to cover our eyes and curl our lips inward when a hotter pulse came by to avoid being burned. We were usually in those temperatures for only 2 to 4 minutes at a time, which may explain why I am still here to talk about it.

Indeed, I ended up staying up past my bedtime to watch the entire video. The Crystal Cave is amazing. Amazing how quickly our technology can fail when you get outside the envelope of what it's designed for. And amazing how quickly we humans break down when you take us out of the Goldilocks Zone.

I found the whole video very interesting. About 15 years ago I did a research project in some volcanic caves in the caldera of Kilauea that were of similar temperature. My project involved collecting temperature data over a three-year period, so I had to visit each cave every few months, but each time for only a few minutes. Our duration of exposure was few minutes and about 20 minutes on one or two occasions. We monitored core temperature with sublingual thermometers (it was up to 102 in 15 minutes and that was time to go). We tried using a cooling vest filled with a polymer that froze at about 50 degrees (F) but it cool only where it contacted the skin and turned out to be useless in that environment. We looked into a sort of body suit that circulated coolant through tubes sewn into the fabric but those required an umbilical to the outside and was impractical fo that environment. Highest temperature I recorded was 154 F, with a dewpoint about 100.

Some of the caves "breathed" much like those reported in the video, and each blast of breath was hotter than between breaths. When learned to drop to the floor with each pulse. Once I recorded a temperature at the floor of 108 degrees and 134 at the ceiling, just three-feet up.

In this mine, where it is hot enough to kill an unprotected human in minutes, female research scientists discover quicksand. Action starts at 54:10.

https://youtu.be/JSMVhUn8CKI?t=54m