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The radio survey
of Wind Cave answered many questions. It helped us understand exactly
where many parts of the cave were located in relation to surface
features and developments. It also helped us determine the depth
of these areas. But most importantly, it will help the park produce
a more accurate map of the cave. A careful surface survey between
many of the location sites was performed by Dennis Shreves and several
of his students at Kansas Tech during the spring of 1986. The data
from this project eventually answered such questions as: "Is
the large room north of the Club Room (know as Club Room II or Club
Room North) really offset from the Club Room as the map shows?"
and "How close are we to a connection in the Disappointment
Chamber area?" It appears the map was inaccurate in both of
these areas.
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In
June of 1984, electrical engineer and amateur radio enthusiast Frank
Reid attended the National Cave Rescue Commission seminar held at
Wind Cave National Park. After an intensive one-week training session
he left, vowing to return with his equipment and expertise. In January
of the following year, plans were made for Wind Cave to have its
first complete radio survey.
The word "radio" is actually misleading.
The equipment used was not the type of radio with which most people
are familiar. Generating conventional radio waves with the power
to penetrate more than a hundred feet of rock would require prohibitively
large antennas. The device used at Wind Cave, designed and constructed
by Frank Reid, made use of what is known as magnetic induction.
The transmitter, which required two people to carry, was taken to
the desired cave location by cavers. When activated, it generated
a magnetic field which was detectable on the surface with the use
of a special receiver. By utilizing the known properties of magnetic
fields, it was possible to pinpoint the area on the surface which
was directly over the transmitter. Carefully measuring the vertical
angle of the field as it emerged from the ground allowed Frank to
give an accurate estimate of depth. In all, 25 rooms from throughout
the cave were located.
