Results
The FTACS was installed
on the 12th February 2009 at Sculpture Cave. The next flash
flooding incident did not occur until September of the same
year - almost 7 months after installation. The camera was
retrieved in September for data. The unit performed successfully,
despite almost a year of being out there with the elements.
Here are just a few examples of what the FTACS has managed
to capture...
Aha! Water flows and
trips the sensor!
|
Here we go...
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It appears that
the unit has switched on without drama as soon as the first
hint of water hits the cave. No visible flow in the water
is seen, but nevertheless the scene at the right depicts just
how high the water has become.
Debris flow in action
|
Wallaby caught on camera
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And not much longer,
debris can be seen travelling towards the cave. Still, however,
there doesn't seem to be much visible indication of huge water
flow. But given the harsh daylight this has been captured
in, the motion is perhaps misrepresented by the presumably
high shutter speed of the shot. Also interesting are the random
shots (erroneously fired after the flooding incident) capturing
the local fauna - like the wallaby on the right.
At the time of extraction of these results,
I was not employed at the department, and thus unfortunately
only a limited number of images were provided to me (purely
for interest). These four are the ones I think are the most
representative of what we tried to achieve. But, who knows
what is being withheld? :)
UPDATE (Feb
2012): I just heard from the deparmtnet that the
FTACS is still functioning and providing valuable images.
Apparently the timing circuit has gone a bit out of whack
but nevertheless the relays still appear to be switching in
and out quite reliably. I must say this thing is doing quite
well out there in the wilderness - though I suspect it won't
be long the heat and humidity finally take their toll. We
will wait and see...
