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Jamaican Caving Notes |
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Water Jar Cave August 8-9, 2010 (Third of three reports for JBC. July 25 is here. July 27-28 is here.) |
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District: Portland Ridge |
Parish: Clarendon |
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WGS84 L/L: By request only |
JAD2001: By request only |
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JAD69: By request only |
Altitude: 35m WGS84 (Ent-1) |
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Accuracy: +/- 5m horizontal; +/- 10m vertical |
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Type: Complex |
Accessibility: Vertigear (Ent 3) or walk-in |
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Depth: 3m |
Length: >320m |
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Explorers: JCC, 1978 |
Survey: JCC |
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Vegetation in general locale: Scrub |
Vegetation at entrance: Scrub |
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Geology: White limestone |
Bedding: Poor |
Jointing: Poor |
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Speleothems: Stals, flowstone |
Palaeo resources: Yes |
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Archaeo resources: Yes |
Hydrology: Wet |
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Dark zone: >75%. |
Climate: ~23 deg C, humid. |
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Bats: Undetermined |
Bat guano: Undetermined |
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Guano mining: None |
Guano condition: Undetermined |
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Visitation: Rare |
Speleothem damage: None |
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Graffiti: None |
Trash: None |
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Ownership: Private (Gun Club) |
Protection: None |
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Vulnerability: Medium. |
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Water Jar Cave
Stewart returned to Portland Ridge to continue the georeferencing work. All three entrances of Water Jar Cave were located on the first day using plotted coords based on the previous work. The first was the northern lighthole entrance, which was found within 15m of the projected position. The next was the southeast entrance, found after a hike through relatively open scrub to the south. The southwest entrance was found by travelling through the cave.August 8-9, 2010 Team: RS Stewart Notes: RS Stewart Bat numbers seem to be low, but the only part seen was between the two southern entrances, 1 and 2 (Stewart was alone and did now want to get overly ambitious). A return visit is necessary. If numbers warrant catch and release, the south entrances are best. A harp trap will work at the southeast entrance, and possibly a mist net at the southwest entrance with a little clearing of brush. Attempts to find any entrances to Drum Cave, further into the bush, on the second day, using the same method (including rereferencing of the area map on the evening of Aug 8), were unsuccessful. The thick, spiky scrub (macca, agave, and cactus), and extreme heat were too much to handle alone, no matter how sharp the machete, and he came away humbled. In fact he was not entirely sure he would come out at all until he was laying on his back in the shade upon his return to the gunclub. The return hike, under a full midday sun, brought him perilously close to heatstroke. |
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