Lasers In Exploration

Lasers In Exploration

Lasers can be very helpful when doing cave exploration.  An important use is to determine how humidity stratifies in cave rooms and passages, thereby giving the researcher insight into air flows and water flows.  Sometimes, by determining where areas of high humidity exist, or do not exist, the cave explorer might be able to determine where would be the most probable places to find bats, spiders, and other cave creatures.  In small cave passages a flashlight can often be used instead of a laser, but in very large cave passages and rooms a laser is the only practical tool for making such measurements.  A low powered red laser is usually the best for this job because an intensely bright beam can often obscure subtle changes in humidity as the beam passes through various layers of fog.  Another very important use for lasers in caving is determining the presence and/or depth of passages and pits.  For instance, by scanning the walls and ceiling of a large cave room, distant openings and passages can be discovered and probed with the beam of laser light, something which might be impossible with other caving lights.  By noting changes in the brightness of the laser dot where it strikes rock, the cave explorer can gain useful information which could not be gathered otherwise.  Other uses for lasers in caving are examining underground pools and streams.  If the cave water is relatively clear, a laser can be used to illuminate the underwater terrain and make it visible to those above the water.  This method is not as good as placing a powerful light under water, but it can be done from a distance, and without getting into or contaminating the water.

Under most circumstances, only low powered laser beams should be used in caves because of the possibility of damage to cave creatures, especially bats.  Bat are easily disturbed by bright lights, and if disturbed during their hibernation season will often release their grip on the cave ceiling and begin flying around, sometimes leaving the cave.  When this happens, the bat can use up enough of its fat reserves to make it impossible to survive the hibernation season, even if it does fly back and resume its inverted position on the cave ceiling.  It is incredibly important that the bat population protected, and not harmed, because bats are one of nature’s primary mechanisms for insect control.  Without them, vast amounts of toxic insecticide would have to be used instead.