Mapping the Lake

[rookers]

The goals of our project are multifold:
1. Produce a complete, registered, map of Rock Lake
2. Capture detailed hydrology information
3. Capture detailed geologic information
4. A rigorous biological survey

All results will be made available publicly.

On item one, I am personally aware of two maps and have seen one of them. I will get a look at the other soon. The one that I have seen was a fine effort, but lacked the detail we hope to capture. Since we have multiple teams of extremely well trained divers, we should be able to take data at a very high rate in order to complete the map. We currently have ca. 80 data points captured and believe it will take approximately 2000 points to complete this part of the project.
On items 2&3, we have some geologic information back already from a friendly at CU Boulder and will be capturing water samples for analysis starting at the inlet vents and working upwards. Part of the goal of this particular endeavor is to discover the growth mechanism for the gypsum selenide crystal deposits found in various locations in the spring.
Item four will require some scientific guidance that we do not yet have. We are vaguely aware of some of the species inhabiting the lake, but the picture is very incomplete.

Anyone can participate with a few simple rules and possibly an in-water evaluation by me. It's a sensitive environment and we strive very hard to preserve it.

 

[toddthecat]

The Blue Hole has been mapped before, and on a good day you can pretty much see the whole thing from the surface, so a map wold do you no good.

Out of curiousity, where might one find said map? It would be neat to have it to show students who can see a map and then go and see the site in such good visibility to demonstrate what a good mapping project looks like.

 

[boulderjohn]

Out of curiousity, where might one find said map? It would be neat to have it to show students who can see a map and then go and see the site in such good visibility to demonstrate what a good mapping project looks like.

I may be wrong, but I think James (amascuba on SB) has one.

 

[RonFrank]

The Blue Hole has been mapped before, and on a good day you can pretty much see the whole thing from the surface, so a map wold do you no good.

I think a map of BH would be useful. Most folks that dive BH never tour the whole place. They are also new, and likely not going to remember a lot beyond hitting a platform, skills, etc.

James, I would like a copy. I'm fairly certain it was James, but if Jason, I apologize, and still would like a copy.

You also may want to make it available to Santa Rosa. If memory servers it was rather detailed, and worthwhile.

Your "fee" for making it available however to Santa Rosa/Public should be considered.

 

[amascuba]

Here's the map that I did. It was made before the multiple "clean ups".

 

[BigBubbaJ]

Can you explain how that map works?

 

[boulderjohn]

Can you explain how that map works?

Just a guess, but I think Ron had another kind of map in mind.

 

[amascuba]

It's just a topographic map of the bottom contour.

 

[DiveNav]

Hi,
I am very much interested in this project

Once you have the 3D map (also partial) I would like to get the data and insert it into our simulator so anyone can virtually dive this lake.
I think it would be quite interesting to build this site in synch with you guys mapping it for real

Check out the 3D model we created for the Emergence du Ressel cave in France.

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[Waterskier1]

Can you explain how that map works?

It's just a topographic map of the bottom contour.

I'd like to know more about this too. First, is this of the Blue Hole? I'm sure it can't be Rock Lake. But I thought Blue Hole was more "round"? If I understand this, it is just the bottom. Can you provide some sort of scale? I suspect the different colors mean something - depth?