Leslie Melim's Cave Research Locations

Cave Research Locations
Leslie A. Melim
Western Illinois University

Table of Contents

	Pool 703-9, Carlsbad Cavern, NM		Hidden Cave, NM, Field Photographs
	Carlsbad Cavern, NM		Hidden Cave, NM, SEM and Photomicroscopy

Click on thumbnails for larger images.

Lower Cave, Carlsbad Cavern, New Mexico
All photos by Kenneth Ingham
	General view of pool 703-9 The webulite and pool meringue (our term) area are in the center.
	Close up of pool crust and pool fingers, pool 703-9. The pool precipitates are coated in white moonmilk.
	Close up of webulites and pool meringue in pool 703-9, Lower Cave. The webulite hangs and connects pointed pool fingers. The meringue is the small peaks coating the pool crust in the foreground.
	Pool merignue showing the peaks over pool crust in pool 703-13.

Carlsbad Caverns,
New Mexico
All photos by Kenneth Ingham
	Large pool. Note where the pool crust grew in from the sides and joined in the middle.
	Example of chenille spar to pool fingers that grew beneath shelfstone that later fell off (pieces were seen cemented into pool crust).
	Shelfstone with chenille spar (?) hanging down. Note gap between pendant spar and shelfstone.
	Pool crust growing in from sides to close cave.
	Pool crust growing in from sides to close cave.
	Broken shelfstone that was later cemented into the pool crust. Bat bones for scale.

Hidden Cave, New Mexico: Field Photos
All photos by Kenneth Ingham
	Diana Northup rappelling into Hidden Cave.
	Diana Northup looking up at large pool fingers in dry pool.
	Close up of pool finger covered in punky crust (possibly dried moonmilk).

Hidden Cave, New Mexico:
SEM and Photomicroscope
For more information on the Hidden Cave pool fingers, please see: Melim, L.A., Shinglman, K.M., Boston, P.J., Northup, D.E., Splide, M.N. and Queen, J.M., 2001. Evidence of microbial involvement in pool finger precipitation, Hidden Cave, New Mexico: Geomicrobiology Journal, v. 18, pp. 311-330.
	Hidden Cave pool finger showing stromatolitic layering. Dark micritic layers are interpreted as biologic while clear spar layers are likely abiologic. SEM images below are all from etched micritic layers; clear layers do not show fossil bacteria. Photo by Leslie Melim.
	SEM image of nest of filaments extending out of the etched rock. Filaments and rock are both calcite. Filaments typically show slightly higher carbon content which may explain their resistance to the etching. Image by Mike Spilde.
	SEM image of another nest of filaments. Also note the hollow filament in center. Image by Mike Spilde.
	Close up of hollow filament. Image by Mike Spilde.
	SEM image of textured filament. Note how the filament is coming out of the rock. Image by Mike Spilde.
	SEM image of textured filament. Note how the filament is coming out of the rock. Image by Mike Spilde.



A WIU Department of Geology document URL:http://www.wiu.edu/users/migeol/index.htm Based on a design by Val Dupy, last updated September 15, 2003 by L. Melim