Prep – Island Ford Cave

Caves and groundwater

  • What is carbonic acid? What are two places it forms in abundance?
  • What is ‘karst topography’ and how does that relate to caves (See Ch 16)?
  • What is the water table? What is the phreatic zone?
  • Define these terms and make sure you understand the process(es) of formation
    • stalactite
    • stalagmite
    • spring
    • paleomagnetism (in sediment or rock)
    • Where does magnetism originate? Why does it change?
  • What are some of the shapes of cave passages? Why are they different?
  • What other rocks are associated with caves and karst landscapes?

Notes on Caving:

  1. If you are known to be claustrophobic or have a physical/psychological restriction and don’t want to be in a cave, please email me privately for a substitute assignment.
  2. Preparations
    1. It will be 50-60 degrees inside the cave, cool but not cold.
    2. I wear overalls, but you could get by with a long-sleeve shirt or sweatshirt (inside out).
    3. Do not wear anything you really like or anything white 🙂 (see what clothes will look like below)
    4. The cave is muddy and in places wet. The floor is wet mud and dried mud; at one point you will crawl on your hand and knees (or belly) through the damp, silty-mud of the cave and you have the option to walk an alternate route out of the cave where we’ll walk in a stream (ankle/calf deep). Everyone will be muddy when we get out!

      Here is the bottom half of some of us after a previous year’s event. Wear something that can get muddy. Or bring a bag with some “overclothes” that you can slip over your other clothes before going in (sweats, goodwill specials, ex-boyfriends shirts, etc)
    5. Wear some shoes with good grip. I use an old pair of tennis shoes. Note the variety of footwear above from rubber boots to sneaks. NO TEVAS OR CHACOS! You gotta protect your toes.
    6. Old gloves are helpful to keep your hands less muddy and free of scrapes. We have some gloves for people to wear. If you have a package of “towelettes” you might consider bringing them to clean your hands and face before we get home.
    7. We will provide helmets and lights to keep us safe. Emily will join us to assist. Everyone will have a map.
    8. You’re going to love “wild” caving if you’ve never done it before! Guaranteed.