We spent part of the last two days lighting up the main cavern of the caves where the Flinders University palaeontologists are excavating for megafauna fossils. This involves two power generators and a maze of power cables, power boards and spare globes. Before the lights were set up we rely on our headlamps to make our way around the cave. It is quite eerie and you can only see a short distance in front of you but with the help of some lights, you can see its intricate structure.
Here are some photos of the cave taken by Dave Primmer:
Even though the best palaeontological discoveries are always made on the last day just as we’re packing up to head home, we did actually make some good finds today. Sieving operations got going up top as well using Carey’s new rig, so overall it was a highly productive day. Just as I was thinking of abandoning Pit B and starting on Pit C, the one that will make us rich and famous due to the remarkable fossils lying hidden therein (we hope), I started to make some really good finds among the tumbled boulders at the base of Pit B.
Yesterday's blog post is a bit late. We found out that the internet is functional only during working hours so I wrote my post but couldn't send it :( Also, one of our generators, affectionately referred to as gennies, is down but just got fixed. Hence, we now have internet, and here is my post:
It's great to be back out on the Nullarbor Plain, after three days travelling and setting up, for our first expedition in two and a half years. Most of the crew were participants in the last trip, which was half cave palaeontology and half a battle against the howling wind and rain. We haven't made the mistake of camping in the middle of a clay pan this time... We learnt a lot about logistics and the fossil site on that trip and a great advantage of having much the same crew is that everyone knows their roles.
The August 2011 expedition to the Nullarbor caves is a collaborative effort between the Western Australian Museum and the Flinders University to search for Megafauna fossils in this remote and isolated area.
The video of day two documents Dr Gavin Prideaux going underground to re-examining the old excavation sites, and explaining how the sedimentary layers can give insight into a distant past.
Each day of the trip we'll be sending back videos of this expedition into the vast plains of the Nullarbor. This first video documents our arrival; the 4WD convey, collecting firewood, setting up the tents and getting ready for a huge week ahead. On day two we'll be heading underground to start looking for the animals that fell into the caves between 500,000 to 1,000,000 and start excavating their bones.
After two and a half days drive from Perth we finally reached one of the flattest, most beautiful but harsh landscapes of Western Australia, the Nullarbor Plain. I am here with the WA Museum and Flinders University to explore some underground caves looking for mega fauna fossils.
I'll be blogging daily to give the latest updates on our discoveries and adventures. So if you don't get anything from me over the next few days, send help! (Although it may just mean our internet is down.)
Live streaming is only possible when some very sophisticated satellite technology comes out into the desert with us.
This involves a 1.2m antenna, with a range of specialist equipment to connect our field crew to anywhere in WA or nearby waters. On the 6th of July, we ran a training session in Perth where the film crew and Minh our talented games guru, learnt how to construct and setup this equipment.
Let there be light
Minh Tran
We spent part of the last two days lighting up the main cavern of the caves where the Flinders University palaeontologists are excavating for megafauna fossils. This involves two power generators and a maze of power cables, power boards and spare globes. Before the lights were set up we rely on our headlamps to make our way around the cave. It is quite eerie and you can only see a short distance in front of you but with the help of some lights, you can see its intricate structure.
Here are some photos of the cave taken by Dave Primmer:
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