Mine diving

[diveworx]

I have recently been shown a submerged mine in a lake and have conducted some exploratory dives. The site has been kept somewhat secret in that a handful of divers have seen the opening to the mine but as far as locals know, no one has ever explored the mine. There is a restriction very early on in the mine that requires a sidemount configuration, and from what I have been told no one has ever even attempted to explore the mine nor dives sidemount.

I have completed exploration on one side of the mine (there is a couple forks) and am hoping to finish exploration on the other half in the near future.

The mine begins with a vertical shaft then at the bottom of the shaft the mine goes horizontal and maintains a constant depth (so far). At the bottom of the mine in the horizontal shaft there is a weird layer of "fog" of particulate in the water that is about 4-5 feet in height in the passage, above this "fog" the water is again clear. The mine use to be either a gold or silver mine from the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Does anyone have any idea what this "fog" could be or what causes it? I apologize in advance about being vague, but I want to keep the location under wraps cause I am guest to the location.

[donlabbruzzo]

Be careful, I "discovered" a similar silver/gold mine in NM a few years ago, it had a very large enterance, 12' wide and 10' high. The water looked crystal clear and I was very excited to dive it. We ran cave lines in about 800' and when we turned the dive, it looked like milk, and we were covered in oil.

Mines use hydraulic equipment to dig and the floor, walls and ceiling were covered in light oil. This oil was undisturbed for year until our open circuit dive made it rain down on us.

I still have oil on my dry suit some five years later. I can't prove it, but we have two regs free flow during the dive, I suspect oil in the second stage were the cause as they had a film on all interior and exterior surfaces.

I would have been a very cool dive site, but with the oil, I never went back. Not safe to do so.

Don

[diveworx]

I've done 4 dives so far and when I turn the visibility does get a little milky but it is not oil luckily.

[DA Aquamaster]

Hydrogen sulfide is a possibility.

Hydrogen sulfide can have a thin, whispy, fog or cirrus cloud like appearance and will hang near the bottom of a passage or under a thermocline. It's the product of bacterial breakdown of plant matter in anaerobic environments - such as the bottom of lakes with little turnover or low/no flow passages.

It is absorbed through the skin and in high concentrations can be nasty stuff, so avoiding it, or at least minimizing exposure to it is a good idea. People produce it in small amounts and have enzymes to oxidize it, so small amounts can be tolerated, but if you start having symptoms such as eye irritation, coughing, headaches, etc, you've exceeded the prudent and tolerable exposure level.

[Spd 135]

Could it be percolation caused by your bubbles disturbing the ceiling?

[diveworx]

Spd135,it is not from percolation it is a existing "fog", on my return trips the percolation does add to the lessened visibility but it is distinctly different. The "fog" proceeds the tunnels well ahead of me.

[rjack]

I'm voting for hydrogen sulfide or other products of bacterial decontamination producing the "fog"

BTW in a mine...
horizontal entrances are called adits
vertical entrances (going down) are called shafts
vertical passages going down are winzes
vertical passages going up are raises

[Danseur]

I took a Hydrogen Sulfide hit a few years ago. To call it nazty schtuff is an understatement. The worst symptoms (thankfully) occurred after surfacing, and over the next several days. I was advised I narrowly escaped being a body recovery, if anybody dared go get me.

I've also heard about toxic levels of arsenic, lead and mercury in old precious metal mines. That said, sounds awesome!

[rjack]

Gold is frequently associated with sulphur bearing minerals leading to acid mine drainage and/or H2S. One givaway about H2S is if your brass parts are losing their chrome and blackening.

[diveworx]

Luckily so far I have not had any symptoms of any sorts during or post dive, as far as brass blackening...I don't think I have any brass equipment? I would love to get a water sample analyzed but not sure who would/could do it for me.

http://youtu.be/6sIjT-MBOuA

Here is teaser video I made for my friends, the mine has been code named "Chuck Norris Mine" until exploration is complete.