Database Field Descriptions

NAME

Tooltip:

Cave or feature's name (should be unique within county)

Type:

60 chars

Notes:

Used for map labeling, and is one of two default fields for text searches. If the first character is an asterisk (*) then this record will be deleted from the master database when an update shapefile is processed. Our convention for records that locate one of several entrances to a cave system is to enter the system and entrance names separated by a comma. Example: "Longhorn Caverns, Sam Bass Entrance"

OTHER_NAME

Tooltip:

Alternate names separated by commas

Type:

254 chars

Notes:

One of two default fields for text searches

COUNTY

Tooltip:

County name (or "Unknown")

Type:

14 chars

Notes:

Filled automatically when a record is added (or relocated)

TYPE

Tooltip:

Karst feature types --

Cave: A humanly passable subsurface cavity at least 5 meters in traverse length, where no dimension of the entrance exceeds the length.

Sink: A closed depression or vertically oriented opening. Its dimensions are at least human-sized, but its subsurface extent does not fit the definition of a cave.

Cavity: A karst cavity that does not fit the definition of a cave, sink, spring, or shelter.

Shelter: A humanly enterable horizontal recess in a cliff face created by an overhang. Either the height from floor level of the overhang or its horizontal extent along the cliff face is larger than the maximum distance from its front edge to the back wall.

Spring: A naturally occurring cavity or area from which water emerges.

Entrance: An alternate cave entrance.

Other: Geological or anthropomorphic features of significance that do not fit any of the above categories.

Type:

10 chars (one of the above 7 alternatives, with possibly a question mark appended)

Notes:

For features whose type is unknown or unspecified, it's OK to append a question mark to the most likely type. The type will then "Undefined" when compiling statistics for the TSS website. Also see the Notes section under Karst Feature Categories.

OTHER_TYPE

Tooltip:

If type is "Other" or a special case, enter a descriptive term: Fossil spring, Well, Mine, Railroad tunnel, etc.

Type:

30 chars

Notes:

Can also be used to further characterize a cave, cavity, sink, etc.

LENGTH_SRV

Tooltip:

Cave's surveyed length in meters. H or T can be appended to indicate a Horizontal or Traverse length as opposed to an unspecified type. Commas can separate multiple length types.  Example: 5.5H, 10T

Type:

20 chars

Notes:

Corresponds to three numeric fields in TSS2000.MDB. A number without a T or H suffix specifies the "Survlen-Unspecified" field value in the MDB record. Leave blank if feature is unsurveyed.

LENGTH_EXP

Tooltip:

Cave's explored length in meters. As with surveyed lengths, H or T can be appended to specify a Horizontal or Traverse explored length type.

Type:

20 chars

Notes:

Corresponds to three numeric fields in TSS2000.MDB. A number without a T or H suffix specifies the "Explen-Unspecified" field value in the MDB record. Can be left blank to indicate that the explored length is the same as the surveyed length.

DEPTH_SRV

Tooltip:

Cave's surveyed vertical extent in meters

Type:

10-chars  (integer or decimal number)

Notes:

Leave blank if feature is unsurveyed.

DEPTH_EXP

Tooltip:

Cave's explored vertical extent in meters

Type:

10-chars  (integer or decimal number)

Notes:

Can be left blank to indicate that the explored depth is the same as the surveyed depth.

ELEV_FT

Tooltip:

Elevation in feet of the main or datum entrance

Type:

5-char integer

Notes:

This field will be initialized automatically if an elevation model NTI layer covers the new (or relocated) feature's location.

QUADRANGLE

Tooltip:

USGS 7.5' quadrangle name

Type:

27 chars

Notes:

Filled automatically when a record is added (or relocated)

SYNOPSIS

Tooltip:

Concise description of the cave or feature

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

Normally no more than one line of text

COMMENTS

Tooltip:

Detailed report, optionally including author, description, history, biology, geology, archaeology, paleontology, meteorology, conservation, and bibliography.

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

Format varies, but can be a long report in rich text format, can paste from Word, etc.

MAPS

Tooltip:

Links to scanned map images in folder ..\TSS Maps. (CTRL-left-click button to open editor instead of viewer.)

Type:

memo storing specially-formatted links to image files

Notes:

To add maps to an empty field, click the field's button to open the editor, then click "Image Mode" and follow instructions. By convention, map images are stored in folder TSS Maps, which is at the same level as the shapefile's folder, TSS_Data.

PHOTOS

Tooltip:

Links to photographic images in folder ..\TSS Photos. (CTRL-left-click button to open editor instead of viewer.)

Type:

memo storing specially-formatted links to image files

Notes:

Add links to photos the same way as described for the MAPS field. The image files should reside in folder TSS Photos, which is at the same level as the shapefile's folder,TSS_Data.

FAUNA

Tooltip:

James Reddell's TexBio fauna list

Type:

memo (specially formatted rich text)

Notes:

This field is not intended to be manually edited. From time to time it will be automatically filled by a program (BioExport) that processes James's TexBio files. Note that a species name is sometimes prefixed with one of these characters: $ - type locality, * - sight record, ? - very small specimen possibly representing an undescribed species

SOURCE

Tooltip:

Persons or references with information on this feature

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

Normally this is the person who submitted the information for inclusion in the database.

LOCATION

Tooltip:

Directions to the cave

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

Can be a narrative description or a distance and direction to the nearest landmark.

OWNER

Tooltip:

Owner's name and contact information

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

Probably should also include an "as-of" date.

MORE_INFO

Tooltip:

Additional information not normally part of comments. (Management info, survey data, news articles, etc.)

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

Note that memo fields can have active internet links as well as links to local documents, such as PDFs (maps or reports). You can enter these links via the text editor's right-click context menu: Insert | Link to local data file...

SPEC_INST

Tooltip:

Special instructions including hazards.

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

COORD_SRC

Tooltip:

Source of coordinates (name and/or method: USGS topo, DOQ, Google Earth, GPS, etc.)

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

COORD_ERR

Tooltip:

Estimated horizontal position error in meters, such as EPE from GPS

Type:

6-chars (integer or decimal number)

Notes:

Can be as large as 5000 meters if the area contains few caves and such an approximate location would be helpful. (A maximum hasn't been decided on.) A good GPS location will typically have an expected error of 3-5 meters.

ENTRANCES

Tooltip:

Total number of entrances

Type:

3-char integer

Notes:

ROCK_TYPE

Tooltip:

One of the following rock categories (or a description) --

Carbonate: limestone or dolomite

Gypsum: gypsum, gypsite, selenite, or a similar rock

Granite: granite boulders or talus, syenite, etc.

Sediments: soil, silt, sand, caliche, clay, or similar material

Volcanic: lava, rhyolite, tuff, volcanic breccia, or similar material

Type:

30-chars

Notes:

Although the above 5 choices appear in a drop-down list box, with "Carbonate" being the default for new records, we can enter any text in this field.

ROCK_CODE

Tooltip:

Geologic unit abbreviation maintained automatically by searching a series of polygon shapefiles in a specified order, ending with the statewide GAT_250K.

Type:

20-chars

Notes:

The program dynamically assigns a code when a point is added or relocated. The set of

geologic shapefiles searched for is specified in the .tmpshp file. Since those shapefiles can be absent or out-of-date, this field is routinely reinitialized by the database manager.

EXP_STATUS

Tooltip:

Exploration status: Complete, Open passage, Dig, Blast, Sump, Dome climb, etc.

Type:

14-chars

Notes:

REPORTED

Tooltip:

Date cave was first reported (yyyy-mm-dd)

Type:

10-chars

Notes:

DESTROYED

Tooltip:

Date cave was destroyed (yyyy-mm-dd)

Type:

10-chars

Notes:

AREA

Tooltip:

TSS area (could be a ranch, hill, creek, or subdivision)

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

GEAR

Tooltip:

Gear needed to explore cave

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

NEED

Tooltip:

Needs management, ecological or hydrogeological study, information for (or from) USFWS, BCCP, etc.

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

PR_CONTACT

Tooltip:

Who to contact in case of a data request

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

GEOLOGY

Tooltip:

Geologic formation, group, age, and other details.

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

STATUS

Tooltip:

Open, filled, gated, covered, closed, sensitive or proprietary controls on cave data, etc.

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

PROTECTION

Tooltip:

Proprietary conservation status information from Texas Nature Conservancy

Type:

memo (variable length text)

Notes:

Conservation easement information for this location provided by TNC. This field is filled automatically when updates are processed and shouldn't be manually edited.

RUMORED

Tooltip:

Cave is rumored or information is sketchy

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

AESTHETIC

Tooltip:

Cave is aesthetically significant (especially pretty)

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

ARCHAEO

Tooltip:

Cave is archaeologically significant

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

BAD_AIR

Tooltip:

Cave has noticeably bad air

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

BATS

Tooltip:

Cave contains bats

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

BATS_EX

Tooltip:

Cave used to contains bats

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

BIOLOGICAL

Tooltip:

Cave is biologically significant

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

ENDANG_SP

Tooltip:

Cave is an endangered species locality

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

GEOLOGICAL

Tooltip:

Cave is geologically or mineralogically significant

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

HISTORICAL

Tooltip:

Cave is historically significant

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

HYDRO

Tooltip:

Cave is hydrologically significant

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

PALEO

Tooltip:

Cave is paleontologically significant

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

PRESERVE

Tooltip:

Cave is part of a managed preserve or park (show caves not included)

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

PROPRIET

Tooltip:

Cave is proprietary, information cannot be given out without permission from the contact

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

SURVEYED

Tooltip:

Has the cave been surveyed?

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

Existence of a sketch map isn't sufficient.

MAP_EXISTS

Tooltip:

Is there a map of the cave?

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

Sketch maps can qualify.

HAS_SPRING

Tooltip:

Cave is also a spring

Type:

Yes/No (checkbox)

Notes:

Applicable only to non-springs.