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Sistema Huautla is the deepest cave in the Americas, and the 8th deepest cave in the world. It was the first cave outside of Europe to be explored to over 1,000 meters deep. It is 72 km long (44 miles), and 1,544 meters deep (5,068 feet).
Proyecto Espeleologico Sistema Huautla (PESH) -- the Huautla Cave System Speleological Project -- is an official NSS Project. PESH works in conjunction with, and supports, the research of Mexico's cave scientists. Bill Steele present a slide talk on the Huautla caves, the 50-year history of exploration and study there, and recent expeditions. There are currently annual expeditions organized to explore to the caves; the 2016 expedition will take place from late March until early May.
Bill Steele, NSS 8072/LB/FE/CM/AL is a co-leader of PESH. His first trip to Huautla was 38 years ago in 1977. (1:14:45)
Download a copy (108 MB)

The old Soudan Mine in Minnesota has anoxic (oxygen free) waters with high concentrations of ferrous iron that are actively depositing a wide variety of classic cave formations --flow stones, stalagmites, soda straw stalactites and rimstone dams. Photographs of surface features on Mars reveal structures that appear to be rimstone dams associated with the distal ends of gullies. The presence of iron oxide rimstone dams suggest that those brines may be an analog for conditions on some parts of Mars. They also form a productive environment for several microbiological communities, suggesting life on Mars.

Dr. Alexander is Professor Emeritus of Earth Sciences at the University of of Minnesota. (59:44) Download a copy (108 MB)

A historic picture of cave science in Florida and how the sciences of speleology and hydrogeology equally misrepresented Florida until the turn of the 21st Century. Since then, a broader perspective of what the term 'karst' means has permeated both sciences, and has helped to build a conceptual framework that can include Florida.

Lee Florea (NSS 37909FE/LF) is an Assistant Professor of Geology at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. He is the President of the Kentucky Speleological Survey, a former Board Member and Officer of the NSS, and a Fellow of the Society. He currently serves as a governor-appointed member to the License Board for Professional Geologists in Indiana. Lee has explored and mapped caves in 17 states, throughout the Caribbean, and in Europe. (1:28:42) Download a copy (139 MB)

A discussion of the testing data for a range of webbing anchors, and their properties so that riggers can select the most appropriate for their conditions. The discussion includes a literature review of past anchor testing, and a synopsis of the results.

Tom has been a vertical caver for a decade, and has been trained in both above and below ground rope rescue. He is a National Cave Rescue Commission instructor, and has a rescue rigging research program whose results are published at the International Technical Rescue Symposium. Recently he cofounded a nonprofit (SAR3) dedicated to providing research and teaching in support of rescue and sport rigging. (1:04:16) Download a copy (119 MB)

Jason discusses his research on cavernicolous roosting bats in Nevada, focusing on better understanding the macro- and micro-climates bats are selecting for different types of roost use, including: maternity, hibernation, and migration. Jason explains his work with thermal imaging cameras and climate data loggers in mines and caves in characterizing roost use. Jason also discusses research he and colleagues are conducting to better understand how bats are responding to different bat gate designs used to secure mine and cave portals.

Jason has been a wildlife biologist for 21 years, with the last 14 years working for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Jason spends most of his professional time studying impacts to bats from abandoned mine reclamation programs, wind generation. Lately he has ben characterizing microclimates in cavernicolous roosting environments, partly fueled by threats of White Nose Syndrome advancing westward. (47:55) Download a copy (85.8 MB)

It's a great big holey Solar System out there with caves, now clearly visible on the Moon, Mars, and other bodies. Some cave formation mechanisms that we are familiar with on Earth may be at work in very different contexts on other planetary bodies. Other potential ways to make caves may be unique to planets and moons very different from our planet. Caves as important extraterrestrial landforms are finding their way into future mission planning for the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Dr. Boston will conduct a cook's tour of extraterrestrial caves found to date, and current thinking about how we can go forward to find and then explore these places.

Dr. Penelope Boston is Director of the Cave & Karst Studies Program at the NM Institute of Mining & Technology. She also serves on the NASA Planetary Protection Subcommittee, and the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts External Council. (1:23:32) Download a copy (113.4 MB)

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