1. To conserve cave survey data.
2. To improve access to cave
survey data.
Outline scheme
An earlier outline scheme by the BCRA Cave Surveying Group, (Compass Points 25, September 1999) dealt with many of the practical issues and these ideas are carried forward here. In brief they are:-
• Spreading the load of data collection and archiving by having a series of regional custodians.
• A system of grades of accessibility determined by the owners of the data ranging from No Access to Public Domain.
• Use of the World Wide Web as a public access medium.
The proposals differ in the content of the data to be held and the storage medium.
Compass Group WPCST
A) Current owner Yes
B) Location of
source data Yes
Ci) Surveyors’ Figures No
Cii) Surveyors’Cross
sections No
Ciii) Surveyors’ Drawings No
D) Centre
Line Yes
E) Drawn up survey No
In addition the WPCST proposal envisages a number of value adding enhancements to the data which will be expanded below.
Because of the high graphical content the original proposal a microfilm storage medium was proposed. However this raises issues of cost, shelf life, inability to update and difficulty of access.
The WPCST proposal, by limiting the data to a value enhanced centre line, opens the way to a database solution which will be less expensive to maintain and be more flexible.
It will be necessary to design a suitable database and to draft specifications of the associated functionality. Both of these have been carried out and form part of this proposal and for good measure there is a demonstration slide show and an actual implementation using trial data.
The initial suite of programs required comprises:-
• A Database
Update Function for direct amendment of the database.
• A Browser
to locate rapidly the data for a given cave.
• A Housekeeping program to
provide a check on the internal integrity of the database.
This would
facilitate a system test for one area to include several caves and test all
elements of the database and associated procedures.
Value added features
• All centre line data recorded to a common standard.
• Provision for a library of international cave survey standard symbols
• The inclusion of bibliographic references to published material on caves.
• Dynamic update capability to input change, and corrections.
• Input laundering including:-
> Back bearings converted to forward.
> Potential traverse closure
errors identified.
> Conversion of imperial units to metric.
>
Centre line continuity checking
> Text placement
> Symbol
placement
> Calculation of a national grid ref. and altitude a.s.l.
for each survey station.
• Specialist annotation (e.g. geology, hydrology) leading to specialist survey plots.
• Specialist supplementary notes
The following five classes are taken from the 1999 proposal and are updated in the light of the new proposal by means of footnotes.
1. Public domain - The data is stored and is free to any user for any purpose. The original author should be credited.
(This would be the same in WPCST proposal. To achieve this data-sets for individual caves would be abstracted using an ftp (file transfer protocol) , compressed and be made available for downloading via a web site. The end user would then need to provide an interface to their preferred plot program. N.B. The finished plots would lack the magnificent draughtsmanship of current published surveys but would be more informative, specialized and dare one say – disposable.)
2. Free Access - The data is stored and is free for any user for any purpose. as long as the original author is credited. Profit may not be made but the costs of distribution may be recovered.
(This class has no equivalent in WPCST as the end user does the plotting. Instead a new class – Flawed - is proposed which is the same as Class 1 but with a health warning that the data may not produce viable plots – for example there may be missing pages from survey notes, or bad closure errors.)
3. Limited Access - The data is available to any user, but reproduction and use may only be carried out with the permission of the provider or holding body. Where to gain permission will accompany the data. (i.e. the original author may pass permission to the holding body or provider.)
(This could be achieved by passwording access to the online data set holdings.)
4. No Access - The data may not be accessed by anyone, however a list of the fact that it exists will be published. Any further enquiries will be referred to the provider.
(A record of the existence of the data would be placed on the on-line pages.)
5. Secret - The data will be stored, however no record will be publicly available. Anyone asking about data about the cave, or entrances with the same location will be told “nothing known for that site’. The authors will be informed of the request unless those asking request secrecy (i.e. secrecy can be reciprocal).
(No record would be placed in the on-line site.)
In addition to the above WPCST proposes a sixth class - Derivative. This covers cases where the original survey data is lost but a public domain printed survey exists.
Here a virtual centre line can be recreated from inspection of the printed source.
Once a pilot scheme is operative it can be rolled out in a number of directions utilizing a rolling 3 year implementation plan. These are:-
Appointment of a National co-ordinator charged with the tasks of:-
• Setting up regional co-ordinators and training them.
(This could
extend to foreign caves if desired).
• Monitoring regional plans and progress.
• Providing a good practice manual.
(This is to ensure consistent treatment of:-
>Backup
>Security
>Recovery
>Special cases – e.g. Two caves
become connected;
traverses involving surface
bearings; caves connected
audibly or by smoke test;
caves connected by diving;
caves with
multiple names.)
• Provision of the Abstraction and web update utilities.
• Maintenance of a web site.
Transcription of every survey point and survey leg for every cave in a given region would be logistically impossible for a regional co-ordinator. The browse and update functions and miniatures of the database could be put out to surveyors, clubs etc., who might appreciate the laundering capability of the system and be prepared to carry out data entry for specific caves and would periodically send copies of their files to the regional co-ordinator.
Other delegated tasks could include the provision of specialist notation and bibliographic references.
This would require a merge utility to integrate distributed data with the regional collection.
It would be necessatry to review the technology associated with the database from time to time to ensure that it did not diappear down a time warp.
Specific enhancements are implicit in some of the roll out proposals specified above.
Other enhancements which could be considered are:-
• An improved browser from the one proposed here.
• Interfaces
with some of the more popular plot systems.
