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W
hile spelunking patent-pending system
and cave diving R&D Magazine has recognized SwRI’s neutrally was developed under
make for good, buoyant sensor technology with its R&D 100 Award, internal funding, and the
if somewhat
dangerous, recreational
presented annually to the 100 most significant advances units were constructed
using off-the-shelf com-
activities, geologists and in technology. In all, SwRI has won 35 of the awards ponents whenever pos-
hydrologists frequently dating back to 1971. sible to minimize the cost.
rely on instruments carried Neutrally buoy-
by human divers to gener- ant sensors, so-called
ate reliable maps of underwater caverns then tracked to the place where they because they are designed to neither ride
through which groundwater enters, moves emerge at a spring or well. However, on the surface nor sink to the bottom,
about and then exits from karst limestone to map the actual limestone corridors gather dimensional and directional data
aquifers. Information gathered from these through which groundwater flows via an array of ultrasound sensors relative
dives is collected and analyzed, then gen- requires a mechanical system that can to a compass, or, in this case, a three-axis
eralized to create a reasonable estimate of gather, store and transmit dimensional magnetometer.
the size of the cave network, water- data as it travels with the groundwa- The sensor also is equipped with a
bearing capacity, ease of recharge and ter’s flow. This requires a system that is propulsion system to move it through
sensitivity to pollution or contamination. small, inexpensive, non-polluting, safe, the cave and avoid becoming hung on an
Aside from the hazard to human autonomous, self-powered and able to obstacle or trapped in an eddy. Informa-
safety, exploring aquifers and underwater communicate electronically with receiv- tion gathered during travel is collected at
caverns in this manner is limited in some ing equipment once it has emerged. the conclusion of the voyage, either by
cases by sheer distance and in others by A team of hydrologists and electri- retrieving the sensor and physically trans-
channel segments that are too narrow to cal engineers at Southwest Research ferring the data or by remotely transfer-
accommodate a human diver. Institute (SwRI) has developed a ring the data to a static sensor tethered to
Some limited information about neutrally buoyant sensor to remotely the ground surface close enough to allow
groundwater behavior can be gained characterize the path, dimension and remote communication. Spatial scale is
indirectly by means of tracers, such as morphology of caves and other under- determined by comparing ultrasound
dyes introduced at a recharge feature and ground conduits and cavities. The measurements taken of a stationary object