|
Post by jonsdigs on Mar 28, 2009 21:47:00 GMT -5
"B" is for blind cave fishBoston Birds and Fish Examiner March 27 George Sommers Here's looking at you, kid (not). Here's a fish that's a novelty at least three times over. It has no eyes (hence the blind), no skin pigment (effectively albino) and is one of the few "tropical" fish whose home range extends into the United States. Full Article
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Mar 28, 2009 21:39:43 GMT -5
Fort Bliss: Area caves ready soldiers for Afghanistan terrainBy Chris Roberts / El Paso Times 03/28/2009 DONA ANA TRAINING RANGE -- U.S. soldiers are crawling through caves on Fort Bliss' vast training ranges, preparing to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. The post's two brigade combat teams, though, still are scheduled to begin tours of duty in Iraq this year. U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, said he believed adjustments in U.S. policy meant Fort Bliss soldiers would be sent to Afghanistan. "Because of the drawdown in Iraq and the buildup in Afghan istan, I have no doubt that will affect Fort Bliss soldiers and we will see them in Afghanistan," Reyes said Friday. Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Mar 28, 2009 21:34:11 GMT -5
Jackson renting home near 'haunted' cavesMarch 28, 2009 LONDON, March 28 (UPI) -- U.S. pop star Michael Jackson is renting a country house in the London suburbs near caves rumored to be haunted, a source says. Full StoryI hope somebody protects the ghost children. ;D
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Mar 28, 2009 21:28:28 GMT -5
ILLINOIS STYLE: Caverns rich but fragileChicago Tribune By CHRIS YOUNG | The (Springfield) State Journal-Register March 28, 2009 WATERLOO, Ill. - Deep inside the cave, there's no getting accustomed to the darkness. It's just dark. No light. None. And somehow, life continues to find a way to survive -- even thrive -- there. At Illinois Caverns State Natural Area near Waterloo, not far from St. Louis, dozens of organisms call the cave home. But adapting to what would seem to be an inhospitable environment for competitors isn't always a safe bet anymore. That's because the delicate, low-energy cave environment easily can be upset by human behavior on the surface. Illinois Caverns is in one of Illinois' karst regions, where water drains from the surface into sinkholes and into underground streams. Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 25, 2009 1:10:55 GMT -5
Two cavers are exploring in a cave when they come upon an extremely deep hole. "I wonder how deep it is?" one caver comments as he kicks some dirt over the edge. The other caver picks up a rock, tosses it in, waits for it to hit the bottom but never hears anything. The two cavers are perplexed and together push a large bolder into the pit and still don't hear it hit the bottom. The second caver looks at the other and says, "Hold on, I have an idea." He then runs out of the cave only to come back in with a railroad tie which he tosses over the edge. Not 2 seconds later, a goat comes flying into the cave and jumps down the hole. Completely freaked out, the two cavers run out of the cave where an old farmer is scratching his head. "Have you seen my goat?" "Yeah! He just ran into that cave and jumped into a hole!" "No, couldn't have been my goat. He was tied to a railroad tie."
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 25, 2009 0:29:56 GMT -5
Land 'vital water source' for conservation areaFebruary 23, 2009 Eric McGuinness The Hamilton Spectator Hamilton Spectator File PhotoMost people don't know what a karst is, but a group of Stoney Creek homeowners is passionate about preserving one in their neighbourhood. They've been crusading for more than a year to block development of vacant land owned by the Ontario Realty Corporation, the agency that handles real estate acquisitions for the provincial government. Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 25, 2009 0:15:54 GMT -5
Human Remains Found At Central Kentucky Construction SiteWKYT (Kentucky) Feb 24, 2009 By Denny Trease Allen Juett was digging a water line from the house to the street on a Scott County construction site Monday afternoon when he turned up something he had never uncovered before in 16 years of excavating. Juett tells 27 NEWSFIRST, " I was digging along, and I noticed a round object in my bucket. When I dumped it, I could tell it was something that was not supposed to be there." That round object turned out to be a human skull. That was confirmed by the coroner and a UK archaeologist who spent much of Tuesday morning at the site. More human bones were found in the same area, and they suspect the ground around there contains more remains and could well have been a graveyard. Juett says, "They did a test dig, and according to the archaeologist, they found more caverns which could be multiple graves. Archaeologist David Pollack says he has recommended that the water line be rerouted and that the homeowner simply preserve the old cemetery in his front yard. Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 24, 2009 23:09:04 GMT -5
Cavefish discovered in lakeKEVIN PIEPER Baxter Bulletin Staff Writer (Arkansas) February 24, 2009 Bulletin Photo by Kevin Pieper (A cavefish found in Norfork Lake this past weekend)A local fisherman netted an unusual catch over the weekend — a 1.5-inch cavefish. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fisheries management biologist Stan Todd said the angler found the tiny, blind fish near the Cranfield area on Norfork Lake while checking out rocks on the shore. "Yes, I would say it's rare to find a cavefish in the lake, but it's not unheard of," Todd said. Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 24, 2009 22:57:32 GMT -5
Why care about karst topography?The Leaf Chronicle (Clarksville, TN) Barry Williams February 24, 2009 According to Dr. Phillip Kemmerly, professor of geology at Austin Peay State University, Clarksville sits in one of the most interesting areas of karst topography in the world. Karst topography describes a landscape abundant in sinkholes, disappearing streams and caves. Clarksville is part of a region known to geologists as the Western Highland Rim Plain. This region includes northern middle Tennessee and extends into western Kentucky where it is called the Pennyroyal Plain and Mammoth Cave Plateau. The only region in the world with more karst features is Slovenia in southern Europe. Kemmerly divulges that of karst features, sinkholes pose the greatest risk to new and existing construction sites. Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 24, 2009 22:50:50 GMT -5
Stalagmites in Northeast Brazilian Caves Confirm 9,000-Year Model of Diminishing Rainfall Developed by UMass Amherst GeoscientistsFebruary 24, 2009 by Insciences Organisation AMHERST, Mass. – Until recently, researchers studying climate history in Brazil’s dry Nordeste region expected it to have wet and dry periods similar to the rest of South America. But over the past 9,000 years, the region has shown just the opposite, drought when rain was expected, and vice versa. Geoscientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Sao Paolo, Brazil, with others, report this week that they’ve identified the cause as a surprising air circulation pattern. “Our speleothem records are really the first long, high-resolution records of rainfall for this region. As we pieced the record together, what we found surprised us. We had not expected this area to show a pattern of changes in rainfall that was different—in fact opposite—from the rest of the Southern Hemisphere tropics in South America.” Full Article
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 20, 2009 23:22:49 GMT -5
New species of crustaceans found in SummitAkron Beacon Journal (OH) By Bob Downing Feb 20, 2009 Erin Hazelton, an ecologist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, takes samples of a presumed new species of amphipod from a cave in Liberty Park in Twinsburg Township, Ohio. (Karen Schiely/Akron Beacon Journal) (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL)TWINSBURG TWP.: New species of plants and animals most often are discovered in exotic places like rain forests or the ocean floor, not in Summit County. But cold-water streams inside sandstone caves in northern Summit County are home to a previously unknown species of tiny, shrimp-like crustaceans. The new amphipods have been found at five caves at Liberty Park in Twinsburg, Twinsburg Township and Reminderville, and also at a cave at the Catholic Youth Organization's Camp Christopher in Bath Township. Full Story & More Photos
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 14, 2009 21:37:25 GMT -5
Willis school officials tackling bat problemThe Courier of Montgomery County (TX) By Elliott Cochran 2/14/09 A few hundred big, brown bats have been an unwelcome visitor at an area middle school the past two weeks, and school administrators have worked to remove the flying, fanged mammals from school grounds. The bats accessed Brabham Middle School in the Willis Independent School District through an awning in the gymnasium and have made the building their winter residence. Parents raised issues about the safety of their children attending the school, but officials said there is no cause for concern. The school district hired an outside consultant to ensure the animals are not dangerous to children while they rid them from the building. Willis ISD Superintendent Brian Zemlicka said the process of removing the bats from the school will take some time. Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 13, 2009 19:31:19 GMT -5
Guat bandits strike tourists at Rio Frio Caves!Amandala (Belize) 13/02/09 Author: Aaron Humes Tour guide Everald Tut, 34, reported that on Tuesday afternoon around 2:30, while he was on a tour of the Rio Frio Caves with four tourists, five masked, armed men, believed to be Guatemalans, held them up. Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 12, 2009 0:54:45 GMT -5
Cave Discovered Near Ancient Waterfall at StraitsResearcher Team To Return This SummerSt. Ignace News (MI) 2/12/09 By Karen Gould Underwater researchers looking for signs of early civilization at the Straits of Mackinac have found something significant: a submerged limestone cave that they think would have once been a likely gathering spot for people. Just two days before taking the boat out of the St... The full version of this story will be available to all readers after 4 weeks.Big Tease!
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 6, 2009 23:26:08 GMT -5
Making caving the hippest thingby Çetin Cem Yılmaz 2/6/09 Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey) ISTANBUL - They dare to take on absolute darkness, enter through holes that would be any claustrophobic's worst nightmare, just to feel the experience of being the first ones to enter an unexplored cave. However, despite their bravery, the members of Boğaziçi University Speleological Society, or BÜMAK, are not in it for the glory. Forget the same old quarterback-dates-the-cheerleader story. There are some sports clubs at universities that are simply offering more than being cool, grabbing the girl or showing off. The Caving Club at the Boğaziçi University is a perfect example of this. Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 5, 2009 19:34:47 GMT -5
Water district buying riverfront propertyA section of land on Chipola River across from Christoff Ferry Landing is part of a tract being purchased by the state to protect the area’s watershed. (Mark Skinner / Floridan)
By DEBORAH BUCKHALTER Floridan Staff Writer February 5, 2009 The state plans to buy 338 acres on the Chipola River just north of Marianna, a step that would further protect the watershed and the 63 identified springs which feed it. At the same time, it would open up new recreational activities for the public. According to a news release from the Northwest Florida Water Management District, hunting and fishing will be allowed on the property. The governing board of the water management district has approved the purchase, although the deal has not yet formally closed. Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 5, 2009 19:14:39 GMT -5
BHS Cave Club mapping out Glacier Park cavernsFeb 05, 2009 By JORDAN DAWSON Bigfork Eagle (MT) Photo provided Tia Bakker examines some cave formations in Glacier National Park in November. Bakker is a member of the BHS Cave Club, which has undertaken a variety of projects in the park.The Bigfork High School Cave Club spent the last two months of 2008 establishing resource monitoring in newly discovered caves in Glacier National Park.The club, which was started last year, and is one of only two in the country, is advised by BHS science teacher Hans Bodenhamer. When the club was looking for a new challenge this year he recommended that they volunteer to help out with the caves that had recently been discovered in the park. “Everything about caves is amazing; how they’re formed and what you have to do to get around inside of them,” said BHS junior Ernie Cottle, who has been a member of cave club since last spring. “I like the sense of danger that comes� with caving.” Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 2, 2009 11:56:31 GMT -5
New Bird Species Found In Southwest ChinaRed Orbit 29 January 2009 (Credit: James Eaton; Birdtour Asia)A new fist-sized, babbler bird species has been discovered in a series of underground caves in China, elevating the hope that the country could find other new discoveries, a conservation group announced on Thursday. Ornithologists Zhou Fang and Jiang Aiwu first saw the bird, dark with white spots on its breast, in 2005 and has since then established its identity as an unknown species. They labeled it the Nonggang babbler, scientific name Stachyris nonggangensis, named for the region of China where the bird was found. Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Feb 1, 2009 19:38:47 GMT -5
New park progressing to realityState closer to acquiring Cave River Valley landBy ROGER MOON February 1, 2009 Times Mail, (IN) CAMPBELLSBURG — By late spring or early summer, outdoor enthusiasts should again be able to enjoy the 316-acre Cave River Valley Park. The park, just across the Lawrence County line and near Campbellsburg in Washington County, is now under the watchful eye of Spring Mill State Park. Last summer, Bert Engler sold the property to the Indiana Nature Conservancy, and it’s about to be sold to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Mark Young, Spring Mill State Park property manager, said Friday, “The process to purchase the property from the Nature Conservancy is not complete yet. We’re waiting for one more approval, a grant through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Full Story
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Jan 30, 2009 19:14:31 GMT -5
Fishing Gulf of Mexico Offshore SpringsBy Blair Wickstrom, Publisher Florida Sportsman January 2009 Dropping on the offshore springs? Bring heavy tackle and check your pride at the gate."That’s why we came here.” Captain Travis Palladeno directed our attention to a depthfinder suddenly painted red with fish. For three of us still numb from the early morning two-hour bean bag ride at close to 50 mph, the fish show was like an intravenous shot of caffeine. Judging by the reactions of our crew, Jeff Strane and Doug Chinchar, I wasn’t alone with my “I gotta get a bait in the water” jones. Strane had a pretty good idea of what was coming. “I’ve been fishing some of these offshore springs for years,” Jeff said, “and I’m rarely disappointed.” Much More
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Jan 30, 2009 18:14:29 GMT -5
Here's a wacky one. ;D J.B. Kinsella defamation lawsuit takes batty turnBy Katie Daubs, Canwest News Service Calgary Herald January 16, 2009 OTTAWA - In a defamation suit that gets more curious by the day, a court here heard Friday of an alleged eco-terrorism plot involving bats, fruit flies and caves that was set to ``wreak havoc'' and to lead to an ecological meltdown in North America. Grant Bristow, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service mole who spent six years as an undercover operative in Canada's far-right movement, was the first witness for the defence in the suit against Liberal political strategist Warren Kinsella. More Silliness
|
|
|
Post by jonsdigs on Jan 28, 2009 19:02:55 GMT -5
Radon: Every homeowner should testDecorah Newspapers (IA) By Sarah Strandberg 1/28/09 Iowa is a state of abundance - from corn to livestock, and, we like to think, above-average kids. It also has an abundance of an odorless, colorless gas called radon, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer. "Iowa has the distinction of being the one state out of the 50 states in which every house should be tested (for radon), without fail. The only way to know how much radon you have is to test," said Brett Mumford, a registered nurse with the Winneshiek County Public Health Nursing Service known to many as "The Radon Guy." January is Radon Action Month in Iowa and the time when Mumford makes an extra effort to educate the public about radon, how to test for it and how to mitigate any problems if results indicate it's present at a higher level than recommended. "A level of four pico Curie per liter (pCi/L) is equivalent to the impact of smoking half a pack of cigarettes a day and an eight pCi/L is equivalent to a full pack, and on up the scale," he said. A pCi/L is a unit of radioactivity corresponding to one decay every 27 seconds in a volume of one liter, or 0.037 decays per second in every liter of air. Exposure to radon is responsible for more than 200 deaths per year in Iowa and 21,000 nationwide, according to Mumford. He sells radon-testing kits through Winneshiek Public Health, and is aware of many houses in the county with levels of 10 and above. He has heard of houses in Winneshiek County with levels in excess of 100. Although some parts of the state are worse for the prevalence of radon, Mumford said Winneshiek County's limestone karst topography "doesn't help us any." Full StoryI don't think they have their science straight and are selling papers with fear. -JB
|
|