Zacatón
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zacatón is one of a group of five interconnected sinkholes, or cenotes, located in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is the deepest sinkhole in the world with a depth of more than 1080 feet.[1]
The name Zacatón comes from the free floating islands of grass which move freely with the wind. [2]
April 6, 1994 - Explorer diver Jim Bowden and cave diving pioneer Sheck Exley plunged into El Zacatón. Jim dove to a men's world record depth of 925 feet and Sheck Exley (invented/standardized use of a 2nd stage safety regulator referred to as an "Octo" or Octopus) didn't survive and was said to have died from high pressure nervous syndrome (HPNS) at around 879~906 feet. The following article is a recorded account of the dives written by Dr. Ann Kristovich who also set the woman's diving depth record of 554 feet while diving at El Zacatón in September 1993: Zacaton. A History by Dr. by Ann Kristovich & Sheck Exley, Eulogy for an Explorer
NASA is planning to use this sinkhole as a testbed for robotic hardware being developed to explore the Jovian moon of Europa. [3]
January 25-27, 2007 - Researchers from The Advance DEPTHX Team from The University of Texas at Austin and robotics engineers at Carnegie Mellon University, together with StoneAerospace have developed advanced robotic technologies to survey the Zacatón.
The Advance DEPTHX Team Missions
They are planning on a continuing expedition to the Zacatón in March of 2007.
