William Stone (caver)
Encyclopedia
William Stone known as Bill Stone, is an American caver and explorer, known for exploring deep cave
s, sometimes with remotely operated vehicle
s. He has participated in over 44 international expeditions, and is President and CEO of Stone Aerospace.
's Outing Club while studying for a B.S.
in Civil Engineering
, awarded in 1974.
After obtaining a Ph.D. in Engineering, he worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology
in Gaithersburg, Maryland
from 1980–2004. While at the institute, Stone established the Construction Metrology and Automation Group. He led the group for seven years, before stepping down to focus on projects at Stone Aerospace.
In 1998, Stone directed an international group of explorers consisting of over 100 volunteers to participate in the Wakulla 2 Project. Upon securing a permit from the State of Florida
the expedition began mapping the cave of Wakulla Springs
, near Tallahassee, Florida
.
Stone has developed a highly advanced AUV, DepthX
, to explore the world's deepest caves. This has evolved into a new and entirely separate project with Professor Peter Doran
of the University of Illinois at Chicago
named Environmentally Non-Disturbing Under-ice Robotic Antarctic Explorer
(ENDURANCE); it is funded by NASA
and the National Science Foundation
, with the goal of exploring Lake Bonney
in the Antarctic
.
One of Stone's underground adventures (in the storied Sistema Huautla in Oaxaca
, Mexico
) is chronicled in his book, Beyond the Deep: The Deadly Descent Into the World's Most Treacherous Cave (2002), which he co-authored with Barbara am Ende and Monte Paulsen. Stone also figures prominently in James Tabor's book Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth (2010), which discusses his contribution to extreme caving and summarizes many of Stone's caving expeditions most notable those to Huatla and Cheve.
Recently, Stone has been involved with developing a next-generation LIDAR
system for the National Institute of Standards and Technology
, as well as with the DepthX program at NASA
, which seeks to develop a robot to autonomously scour the seas of Jupiter's moon Europa
for signs of microbial life.
at Wakulla Springs
, Florida
in a scuba dive
that lasted 24 hours.
about exploring the world's deepest caves and frontier space travel. In the talk, Stone pledges his devotion to lead a mining expedition to the moon "to mine ice thought to be trapped on the moon's southern pole at Shackleton Crater
, and to sell derived products (including propellants and other consumables) on the moon and in low earth orbit (LEO) to international consumers."
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s, sometimes with remotely operated vehicle
Remotely operated vehicle
A remotely operated vehicle is a tethered underwater vehicle. They are common in deepwater industries such as offshore hydrocarbon extraction. An ROV may sometimes be called a remotely operated underwater vehicle to distinguish it from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the air. ROVs...
s. He has participated in over 44 international expeditions, and is President and CEO of Stone Aerospace.
Biography
Stone was an active caver in the Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
's Outing Club while studying for a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Civil Engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
, awarded in 1974.
After obtaining a Ph.D. in Engineering, he worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology , known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards , is a measurement standards laboratory, otherwise known as a National Metrological Institute , which is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce...
in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
from 1980–2004. While at the institute, Stone established the Construction Metrology and Automation Group. He led the group for seven years, before stepping down to focus on projects at Stone Aerospace.
In 1998, Stone directed an international group of explorers consisting of over 100 volunteers to participate in the Wakulla 2 Project. Upon securing a permit from the State of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
the expedition began mapping the cave of Wakulla Springs
Wakulla Springs
Wakulla Springs is located south of Tallahassee, Florida and east of Crawfordville in Wakulla County, Florida at the crossroads of State Road 61 and State Road 267...
, near Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
.
Stone has developed a highly advanced AUV, DepthX
DEPTHX
The Deep Phreatic Thermal Explorer is an autonomous underwater vehicle, designed to explore deep underwater caves. It is purported to be the most advanced robotic vehicle of its kind on Earth. Its primary function is observation, with an array of sonar sensors all around its flattened spheroid hull...
, to explore the world's deepest caves. This has evolved into a new and entirely separate project with Professor Peter Doran
Peter Doran
Peter Doran, Ph.D. is Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago.Doran specializes in polar regions, especially Antarctic climate and ecosystems. Doran was the lead author of a research paper about Antarctic temperatures that was published in the journal...
of the University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
named Environmentally Non-Disturbing Under-ice Robotic Antarctic Explorer
Environmentally Non-Disturbing Under-ice Robotic Antarctic Explorer
For other uses, see Endurance .The Environmentally Non-Disturbing Under-ice Robotic Antarctic Explorer, is a submersible autonomous underwater vehicle designed to map in three dimensions the geochemistry and biology of underwater terrains in Antarctica...
(ENDURANCE); it is funded by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
, with the goal of exploring Lake Bonney
Lake Bonney (Antarctica)
Lake Bonney is a saline lake with permanent ice cover at the western end of Taylor Valley in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Victoria Land, Antarctica.It is long and up to wide...
in the Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
.
One of Stone's underground adventures (in the storied Sistema Huautla in Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
) is chronicled in his book, Beyond the Deep: The Deadly Descent Into the World's Most Treacherous Cave (2002), which he co-authored with Barbara am Ende and Monte Paulsen. Stone also figures prominently in James Tabor's book Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth (2010), which discusses his contribution to extreme caving and summarizes many of Stone's caving expeditions most notable those to Huatla and Cheve.
Recently, Stone has been involved with developing a next-generation LIDAR
LIDAR
LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
system for the National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology , known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards , is a measurement standards laboratory, otherwise known as a National Metrological Institute , which is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce...
, as well as with the DepthX program at NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, which seeks to develop a robot to autonomously scour the seas of Jupiter's moon Europa
Europa (moon)
Europa Slightly smaller than Earth's Moon, Europa is primarily made of silicate rock and probably has an iron core. It has a tenuous atmosphere composed primarily of oxygen. Its surface is composed of ice and is one of the smoothest in the Solar System. This surface is striated by cracks and...
for signs of microbial life.
MK1 rebreather
In 1987 Bill Stone became known to the wider diving community when he demonstrated the MK1 model rebreatherRebreather
A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycled exhaled gas. This recycling reduces the volume of breathing gas used, making a rebreather lighter and more compact than an open-circuit breathing set for the same duration in environments where...
at Wakulla Springs
Wakulla Springs
Wakulla Springs is located south of Tallahassee, Florida and east of Crawfordville in Wakulla County, Florida at the crossroads of State Road 61 and State Road 267...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in a scuba dive
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
that lasted 24 hours.
TED appearance
Bill Stone gave a talk at TED 2007TED (conference)
TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
about exploring the world's deepest caves and frontier space travel. In the talk, Stone pledges his devotion to lead a mining expedition to the moon "to mine ice thought to be trapped on the moon's southern pole at Shackleton Crater
Shackleton (crater)
Shackleton is an impact crater that lies at the south pole of the Moon. The peaks along the crater's rim are exposed to almost continual sunlight, while the interior is perpetually in shadow. The low-temperature interior of this crater functions as a cold trap that may capture and freeze volatiles...
, and to sell derived products (including propellants and other consumables) on the moon and in low earth orbit (LEO) to international consumers."
External links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bn6Gel7yEsVideo of Bill Stone's presentation at TEDTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
conference] - Video: Journey Towards The Center Of The Earth, Google TechTalk, July 2006