In January, Dr. Al Wanamaker joined collaborator, Dr. Rhawn Denniston (Cornell College), and several Portuguese collaborators to visit four caves in central and southern Portugal. Two of these caves are the subject of current research and two new caves were visited for potential future research.
Al and Rhawn were tasked with reading loggers, collecting drip water, and retrieving slides with fresh calcite, all with the purpose of better understanding modern cave conditions in the two caves currently being studied. The tasks in the new caves included taking photos, installing temperature and relative humidity loggers, and characterizing the soil, rocks, and vegetation near the cave. Stay tuned for exciting developments from these projects!