SUBTERRANEAN FIELD STUDIES IN LECHUGUILLA CAVE, NEW MEXICO

In geomorphology, visualization of the shape, form and orientation of a land feature is an important part of the study that feature. Maps, satellite imagery, aerial photography and LANDSAT images are important tools in geomorphic studies. They help the researcher visualize the feature both in a local and regional context. Caves and their associated subterranean features cannot be so easily visualized because they are hidden from the “view” of most surface image recording technologies. Visualization of a cave can only occur when the feature has been mapped. This is accomplished by station-to-station survey techniques and detailed field notes. Documenting of cave passage morphology, cave features, passage orientation and extent, and general cave layout is done during the cave survey process. This information is translated into a map or series of maps which serves as baseline information for scientific research. The exploration and documentation of Lechuguilla Cave is an exceptional example of the value of speleological fieldwork in karst science.

In May of 1986, after two years of excavation efforts, a team of explorers broke through into major cave passage in Lechuguilla Cave, which at that time had been known only as a small guano cave. This began one of the most remarkable chapters in American cave exploration and karst science. The cave quickly grew in length and depth and became known as the deepest limestone cavern in the United States and ultimately fourth in length for U.S. caves. Due in large part to the stewardship of the National Park Service and the foresight of the American caving community, science has been a part of the exploration efforts in the cave since the very beginning. Cave survey and documentation of cave features and observations has resulted in a large body of baseline information about the cave. Consequently, important studies in geology, cave microbiology, microclimatology, mineralogy, geomicrobiology and geochemistry have been conducted, often times in conjunction with cave exploration and survey work.