15. Scientific Research in Burnsville Cove

A summary is provided of the many research projects that have been undertaken using the caves of Burnsville Cove as test sites or objects of investigation in their own right. Research began in the late 1940s with observations of the oscillating air currents in Breathing Cave. This was followed by comprehensive investigations of the geology of Breathing Cave and the geology, hydrogeology, and mineralogy of the newly-discovered Butler Cave. Later investigations in the 1980s and 1990s used Butler Cave for research on clastic sediments, movement of bacteria, mineralogy, and paleoclimate. A recent discovery is that injected oscillating air current can be used to probe possible connections between nearby caves. There is much potential for future research, particularly in the caves of Chestnut Ridge.