Grant - Explained

QUESTIONS:

I'm aiming to start taking measurements in July, depending if I can secure the equipment quick enough. I'm hoping to take measurements from July until about April of next year, maybe earlier depending on how much data is created. As for publishing, the dissertation its self is not published however the equipment, data and out come will be published in a caving journal as part of the conditions set out by the grant awarding organisation. I may have to go to a conference and tell them about the experiment, depending on how successful it is. Anymore questions just ask!!

As promised:

At the end of our third year, the student body has to undertake a massive individual project called Dissertation. Caves have always been a love of mine, so obviously that was going to be the main element of my dissertation project. While I was working in Cheddar as a Cave-leader I noticed that on certain days there seemed to be more 'wind' coming out the cave, as time went on I noticed that this some how worked with the weather. So during warm summer days when the outside pressure was high the 'wind' or draught was going past me as I walked into the cave, during the winter when the outside pressure was low the draught was going with me as I walked into the cave. After carrying out some research into this draft effect, it turns out that there a set mechanism which causes this to happen, named cold theory.

So if this pressure change could be measured, both on the outside and inside then in theory the weather could be predicted!! But how do to it. After some further research I found I would need a pressure sensor which could measure atmospheric pressure and a temperature sensors, along with two data-loggers (A data logger is a bit of hardware that just keeps a record of the information that the sensors pick up). And that is where I needed the Grant, the pressure sensors cost £300 pound each, I have managed to find some very cheap data-loggers for £20 and the temp sensors can be borrowed from University. I will put the equipment into a chamber in Goughs Cave, Cheddar and one outside.

In the mean time I'm collecting sources, books and articles on the subject. I hope that explains it. If you have any questions feel free to ask them.