Draining Tham Luang cave water a sisyphean task, says expert

[webfact]

Draining cave water a sisyphean task, says expert

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION 

 

 

DRAINING WATER out of the Tham Luang cave is an impossible mission, an academic said, even as the rescue operation makes headway and pumping water from the flooded cave has been considered the most important challenge to rescue the trapped footballers.

 

Assoc Professor Ariya Aruninta from Chulalongkorn University yesterday warned that the focus on evacuating the trapped 13 by drying the cave was unrealistic and very risky. Ariya said it was impractical to control the inflow of water into the cave system or effectively pump the water out, especially during the rainy season.

 

Ariya pointed out that it was not just the floodwater inside the Tham Luang cave system that the rescue team is dealing with, but the entire subterranean aquifer system of the whole mountain range.

 

“The mission’s water-draining capacity cannot match the enormous volume of water flowing from the mountain during the rainy season,” she said.

 

“The rescue team has already faced a difficult situation. The rainy season has just started and the rainy weather will unleash its full power during the four-month period from now.”

 

She explained that the Tham Luang cave is a part of a limestone mountain ecosystem and when it is raining on the mountain, the water will be absorbed into the subterranean aquifer system through infiltration and later spring out as streams and rivers.

 

She emphasised that the cave is also part of a vast underground water system. She said the plan to evacuate the footballers out of the cave by teaching them to dive through the submerged cave was a very dangerous idea, because the water level in the cave can rise very rapidly without warning from heavy downpours on the mountain above.

 

 

Ariya suggested that instead of fighting a hopeless battle against nature, the rescue team should focus on finding safer methods to get the children out.

 

Meanwhile, Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn said the water drainage operation was the most crucial task before the rescue team at this moment, as the lower the floodwater in the cave the higher the chance to get the stranded footballers out of the cave safely.

 

“We are now focusing on continuing the well-organised water drainage operation, and at least maintain the current water drainage capacity in order to prepare for more rain,” Narongsak said.

 

“So far the operation to reduce floodwater inside the cave has been satisfying, as the water level is slowly but continuously receding at around one centimetre per hour.”

 

Maj-General Chalongchai Chaiyakham, the deputy commander of the 3rd Army, also disclosed that the rescue team had successfully drained up to 128 million litres of water out of the cave system.

 

Chalongchai said the effort to lower the water level in the cave by pumping out groundwater in the area had already removed up to 350,000 litres per hour from the subterranean aquifer system.

 

Additionally, two streams to the South and the North of Doi Nang Non Mountain, Haui Makaeng and Huai Nam Dan, were also diverted through the cooperation of the local people and related agencies, as per the suggestion of Thailand’s prominent geologist Chaiporn Siripornpibul in order to curb the water inflow to the cave system through many stream sinks along these streams.

 

Chaiporn, who went to Chiang Rai to examine the streams, said according to his estimates up to 70 per cent of the water in these streams flow into the cave system through many cracks and sinkholes along the natural course of the streams, so he proposed the construction of weirs over these streams to stop the water flowing into these stream sinks.

 

“The water diversion at Huai Nam Dan is very successful, as we can divert up to 50 per cent of the water inflow or 13,000 cubic metres of water through the stream sinks,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30349410

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-06

[pegman]

There are enough military divers there now to carry those boys out if necessary. Better to do it now than risk some other unknown danger by waiting. What if there were another earth quake to hit the area? Don't take the chance, do the extraction now.

[samjaidee]

One can't help but be impressed that a Thai expert used a word like "sisyphean", a word the you wouldn't expect a native speaker to use. It must be rare for a Thai academic in a scientific filed to have an interest in Greek mythology.

[djjamie]

Doesn't help when you are accidently pumping warer back into the cave either.

 

https://au.news.yahoo.com/volunteers-trying-save-boys-stuck-cave-accidentally-pump-water-back-222435023.html

 

[peperobi]

Take quick the guys out, that is the most important thing, they don't have to learn diving, there are already many divers and equipment to take the kids one by one out. JUST DO IT!

[Sydebolle]

Maybe the clever professor starts teaching on how to organize exit pipes and make sure you get the biggest available. The picture in the OP says it all. Pathetic statement by a clown! 

[toofarnorth]

sisyphean , my word of the week ,must use it as often as possible.

[CGW]

18 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

sisyphean , my word of the week ,must use it as often as possible.

Be more fun pushing a boulder up a hill, then watching it roll down!  ? 

[steve73]

3 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Maybe the clever professor starts teaching on how to organize exit pipes and make sure you get the biggest available. The picture in the OP says it all. Pathetic statement by a clown! 

That will be well over most peoples heads... but I totally agree... and it looks good for the media.!

Edited July 6, 2018 by steve73

[jaltsc]

4 hours ago, djjamie said:

Doesn't help when you are accidently pumping warer back into the cave either.

 

https://au.news.yahoo.com/volunteers-trying-save-boys-stuck-cave-accidentally-pump-water-back-222435023.html

 

Still gets a passing grade from the Mai Pen Rai school of rescue. 

[Artisi]

5 hours ago, djjamie said:

Doesn't help when you are accidently pumping warer back into the cave either.

 

https://au.news.yahoo.com/volunteers-trying-save-boys-stuck-cave-accidentally-pump-water-back-222435023.html

 

the amount being pumped back, if in fact it is true, would have about as much effect on the problem as you peeing in the  ocean.

 

And before everyone starts rubbishing the facts outlined by  Assoc Professor Ariya Aruninta suggest you spend some time reading up on water retention, water movement, and water recharge in karst formations. Plenty of good reading on the internet, it might assist filling in your day instead of wasting your time with things way way over your head.

Edited July 6, 2018 by Artisi

[toofarnorth]

I suffer from water retention but I find my little pipe is up to it first thing in the morning .

The non return valve is not what it once was but sisyphean parts are hard to come by.

[oldrunner]

I could have skipped it but "Sisyphean" caused me to grab my handy Webster Collegiate Dictionary. How appropriate for the rushing water problem.

[Julie H]

4 hours ago, toofarnorth said:

sisyphean , my word of the week ,must use it as often as possible.

Sisyphean and Schadenfreude, im learning good today

[smo]

9 hours ago, samjaidee said:

One can't help but be impressed that a Thai expert used a word like "sisyphean", a word the you wouldn't expect a native speaker to use. It must be rare for a Thai academic in a scientific filed to have an interest in Greek mythology.

You'll be surprised... I have a Thai friend who speaks pretty good English, however her problem is the use of "hi-faluting" (don't mean that in a bad way) words in every day life situation. Not that it is her style, it the vocabulary coming from higher education (graduate studies) instead of that of living language.  I can't help but be impressed and amused at the same time.

 

I agree, "sisyphean" is totally apt in this context, there's really no other (single) word to beat it... Just want to add that I sincerely hope the final outcome won't turn out to be a "pyrrhic" victory!

[Artisi]

19 minutes ago, smo said:

You'll be surprised... I have a Thai friend who speaks pretty good English, however her problem is the use of "hi-faluting" (don't mean that in a bad way) words in every day life situation. Not that it is her style, it the vocabulary coming from higher education (graduate studies) instead of that of living language.  I can't help but be impressed and amused at the same time.

 

I agree, "sisyphean" is totally apt in this context, there's really no other (single) word to beat it... Just want to add that I sincerely hope the final outcome won't turn out to be a "pyrrhic" victory!

The very reason  sisyphean was chosen. 

Edited July 6, 2018 by Artisi