h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A657597

This did start off trying to cover both caves and caving, but seemed to be getting rather long, so has been amputated to its current length.

It seems hard to shorten it significantly without missing out something important. I'm hoping to write other related articles(eg 'What is caving'), and so I'm trying to avoid not quite writing sufficient detail to be able to refer back to from elsewhere. For example, trying to give an idea of the basic classes of passage shapes will help when describing means and methods of progression.

There are many other areas of cave development to cover, particularly
a) The effect of changing topography and surface glacial processes on the evolution of caves, particularly due to the rise or fall of the water table and the exposure of new lower resurgences
b) The formation of new routes underground and the development of fossil passageways
c) Possibly more detail on the effect of the degree of inital faulting and orientation of the limestone on the nature of the caves formed (if any).

a) and b) could be usefully covered in a separate article. As an erlier process, c) seems to an extent like it may belong in this article, but could probably be usefully covered in a subsequent article covering the variation of cave nature from one caving area to another.

Comments are welcome both from cave experts (have I made any serious mistakes?), and non-experts (is there anything I've written which seems wrong or is badly or insufficiently explained?)

I'll probably chop the first paragraph - it's better suited to an article covering the variation of caves between areas, but does anyone think there's anything in it I should leave in in some form?

Cheers,

I forgot to double check the conversation title, and the A657597 got left off the front. I guess there isn't any way I can change it?

Some comments from a *very quick survey in fast forward mode* (I have to leave for work in a minute)

You could raise the into and perhaps use the additional level of structure. There's a GuideML Paragraph tag (usage: wrap and around each of your paras) which makes it look much better than the s

The mechanisms of CO2 dissolution are explained more than once, this should be concentrated under one single Subheader.

Obviously you're an expert (noticed your name as well ) and I've learned something from it!

Sorry, have to leave!

Hi Potholer

Good stuff. I am no expert. Totally new to this, in fact, and I found that I wanted to read on. I struggled once or twice but found that after a second reading it became clear. This strikes me as a sterling quality.

You may find this an odd thing to say, but I think you should consider adapting the title to avoid any confusion between 'cave development' in your sense and 'cave development' in the 'homo erectus' sense - 'early cave development' could conjure up images of animal-skin clad cave-dwellers hunting-gathering and 'inventing' fire. Maybe it's just me, though! I guess I'm thinking of something along the lines of 'How Caves and Potholes develop'.

You say you are already re-thinking the opening para, which I think is a good idea.

I would recommend that you try to break up the chunks of text more clearly by leaving gaps between paragraphs within each subheader. It may not seem terribly important, but if you are in unknown territory, it can be good to feel that you are going one step at a time. Just a thought.

On a practical note - >>However, the initial channels usually formed in joints or bedding planes, which can affect the shape of the developing passage.<<

I think you may have lost a word here.

This looks as if it will be an interesting article in itself, but what we really want is to hear about getting underground and exploring these things!

Spiff

Cheers for the comments.
I'll rewrite the CO2/acidity bit to make it clearer.

I'll also alter the bedding plane/joint influence on passge shape piece, since I don't currently say *how* the rounded cross section is modified.

I'll probably sort out the heading/subheading and paragraph separation once I've got all the text correct

Yepp... and I'd say you better post directly to Peer Review once you're finished (The workshop is a very dark place...)

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'The Writing Workshop' to 'Early Cave Development'.

Oops - I was meaning to stick a post in the writing workshop conversation to mention my submission to Peer Review, but got distracted.