Page 3 Selected Cave Photos

Fort Stanton Cave - Selected Photos Page 3

Photo Pages

On the right, Garrett Jorgensen, the team photographer, takes a selfie with the calcite saturated pool in the background near SRS778A. Since Garrett was the team photographer, you won't see him in many of the other photos in this section. As you might guess, he took this selfie with a Samsung SM-5901U smart phone, which probably provided 10X over the quality of the cell phones the survey and exploration teams used just 3-4 years ago. The smart phone allowed photos in tight places where a larger camera would be awkward. It was used to record the survey station location and number on the majority of the stations of the survey. The other camera Garrett used on many of the higher quality photos was a Panasonic DMC-GX85 with a LUMIX zoom lens. In combination with a separate strobe light, this camera provided better lighting for the larger passage shots, where often the clay floors, dark formations and walls tend to "eat up" 2 or 3 f-stops that a small on-camera strobe would not properly illuminate.

Adam pauses as he prepares to pass under some low-hanging stalactites. Not only does the team have to keep their helmet from hitting any delicate stalactites, but also their rather large backpacks must be carefully handled in areas like this.		Nice stalactites near SRS764.
These red colored stalactites are an indication of the minerals in the dripping water from above.		Derek standing under the dome above the trail for scale. Obviously there was a water source above this point over a long time.
More interesting sediments near SRS766, where the passage floor shows evidence of past erosion.		Adam at a pool near SRS767. Note the "pool fingers" just under the "bathtub ring" to the right of Adam's knee.
From the obvious water lines above the current pool level and also the "pool fingers" at the top of the picture which form under water, it is a mystery how this pool connects to the main Snowy River passage.		At this point in the survey (SRS770) and for the next several stations the team realized that as they climbed up they began to see evidence of lower level pools with a tiny amount of flow. Old waterlines were confusing.
The ceiling drops past SRS772 forcing the team into the crawling mode.		Near SRS772 the crawl opened up to reveal the tiny flow of water where the team shot a video of the flow followed by this picture of a pool being fed by the flow.
Rene and Derek are sketching the pools of water on the floor below.		Derek sketches this interesting dome near SRS773 showing a 4 inch thick layer of limestone that fell to the floor.
Another interesting floor deposit near SRS774.		Near SRS775 Adam flags a delicate gypsum area next to the station.
Looking towards SRS777.		Just past SRS777 the team discovered a yellow flowstone cascade dropping into the passage they named the Yellowstone River. We don’t know what the dark blotches are in the Yellowstone River.
Although they initially carried the "SRS" survey line into an upper level, it was later determined that the source of the Snowy River water may come from a lower level that could possibly be "sumped" where the lower passage continues under water		The spots in the yellow colored flowstone may be bits of clay or other material embedded in the flowstone.
Adam is surrounded by an upper layer of reddish yellow rock near SRS778.		This lower pool at SRS778A is very unusual in that it was covered with a substantial layering of a calcite "raft". The team named this feature "Laguna Lechosa" or Milky Lake. The rafting calcite implies that there is little water flow in this area, similar to pooling water in the floor of the Conrad's Branch extension of the Main Entrance Corridor of the cave.
A closer view of Laguna Lechosa shows horizontal lines of calcite rafts marking previous levels of water in this spot. A similar feature can be seen near Turtle Junction, 10 miles north along Snowy River.		The far end of Laguna Lechosa shows a similar concentration of calcite forming rafts. This pool is about 4 meters long.
Fresh (clay?) material on top, but there is additional older material embedded in the flowstone layers.		A deposit of aragonite near SRS781
The Yellowstone River has completely filled the floor of this high but narrow passage.		Adam switches out his clean shoe covers at this section of the Yellowstone River.
More aragonite, which is essentially a different crystalline form of calcite.		Near SRS783 the wall above the yellow flowstone a delicate "flower" was found. Is this gypsum or aragonite?
More "flowers" with a bit of pink coloration.		More decorations along the Yellowstone River.
Is that zip-lock bag on Rene's left foot a replacement for a damaged shoe cover? The white wall crust below a horizontal level above the Yellowstone River (just above head level in these photos) looks a lot like the Snow White's Passage in Lechuguilla Cave, in which scientists think stratified airflow causes evaporative deposition where drier, denser air flows inward along the lower half.		Derek and Rene are constantly busy as they make detailed sketches of the Yellowstone River passage. Then following the caption on the left, moister, lighter air flows outward, causing condensation (or at least inhibited evaporation) -- not necessarily different airflow directions along floor and ceiling levels at the same time, but perhaps as outward and inward airflows alternate.
Adam carefully chooses the next station on the wall above the yellow river of stone.		A beautiful collection of formations near SRS785
Adam near SRS785		Even the calcite on the wall seems to have tiny flakes of material on its upper surfaces.
Near SRS787 in the Yellowstone River passage. It has been suggested that this looks like a great example of stream meandering, although it could be an artifact of viewer perspective.		Sketchers are challenged in heavily decorated sections like this. Not only is the tall passage only seen from the floor, the various overhangs and ledges on the sketch can't rival a single photograph that shows the beauty.
A strange calcite formation overhead.		This calcite stalagmite resembles a discarded bottle.
A stalagmite in the Yellowstone River passage with directional aragonite. This indicates drier airflow coming from the direction that the smaller nodules point, or perhaps airflow alternating inward and outward is probable. The direction of airflow at the Mud Hut Door at the bottom of the access shaft to Snowy River is known to be quite strong at times, and that airflow is also known to blow both inward and outward.		Stalactites and soda straws in the Yellowstone River passage. There were several naturally broken stalactites on the floor in this area.
A stalactite with a crystalline deposit on the end, sometimes known as a “bottle brush” formation.		At 1:00 AM on July 2, 2022, the survey ended at SRS789 as the Yellowstone River continued into the darkness around the next corner.