Intermittent spring

An intermittent spring is a cold water fluctuating spring, the largest of only three known in the world. Intermittent Spring is located in Swift creek canyon in Star Valley, Wyoming.

Early native Americans and pioneer settlers that frequently stayed and passed through Star Valley called Intermittent Spring "the spring that breathes". Though not intermittent during the winter, spring, and the early summer months, the spring puts on a good show starting in late summer through to the fall when groundwater tables are lower. The fluctuation in the flow of water, is caused by the siphoning effect of an underground cave that fills with water. When the cave surpasses its fill, and is ready to erupt, the spring emits a deep gurgling noise and it gets expelled out the crevices that feed it out into the opening of the mountain and a rising puddle quickly becomes a vigorous roaring creek. Below you can view the spring's activity, which has approximately a 15-minute on-off cycle. In fall and winter Intermittent Spring has a natural cycle, about 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. The only other spring like Intermittent Spring is in France.

The University of Utah’s Hydrologist Prof. Kip Solomon said, "We can't think of another explanation at the moment". Here's the theory: As groundwater flows continuously into a cavern, it fills a narrow tube that leads out. As it pours over the high point of the tube, it creates a siphon effect, sucking water out of the chamber. Eventually air rushes in and breaks the siphon. It is said that Rulon Gardner the Olympic Gold Medalist's great great grandfather is credited with the discovery. Gardner says, "He was up there logging. He went up and found a nice little place to get some fresh water. It was intermittent. It went, and stopped. So it was pretty amazing". When the University of Utah conducted and finished their studies, Prof. Solomon concluded that "The spring water's gas content has now been tested at the University of Utah. The data strongly suggests the water was exposed to air underground; strong support for the siphon theory."

Sources

* http://www.starvalleywy.com/intermspg/index.htm
* http://www.wyomingtourism.org/cms/d/lakes_rivers_falls.php
* http://www.weird-tourist-attractions.com/wyoming-tourist-attractions.html
* http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=654826