Intermittent Spring, also called Periodic Spring, is located in
Swift Creek canyon in
Star Valley, near
Afton, Wyoming
Afton is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,911 at the 2010 census.
Afton is home to the world's largest arch made of elk antlers. Spanning across the four lanes of U.S. Highway 89, the arch consists of 3,011 ...
.
It is the largest
rhythmic spring in the world.
The great great grandfather of
Rulon Gardner
Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia's three-time reigning gold medalist Aleksan ...
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".
Siphon theory
The theory is that 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. Kip Solomon, a
hydrologist
Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is calle ...
at the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
, said, "We can't think of another explanation at the moment".
When the University of Utah conducted and finished their studies, 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."
See also
*
Gihon Spring
Gihon Spring () or Fountain of the Virgin, also known as Saint Mary's Pool, A.H. Sayce, "The Inscription at the Pool of Siloam," ''Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement'' 13.2 (April 1881): (editio princeps), p72/ref> is a spring in the ...
, another well known rhythmic spring, located in the ancient
City of David
*
Salt River Range
The Salt River Range is a mountain range in western Wyoming. The 56 mile long range forms the eastern boundary of Star Valley as well as the western boundary of the Greys River valley.
The highest point is Mount Fitzpatrick at .
See also
* L ...
Sources
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{{Coord, 42.74438, -110.84850, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:US-WY
Springs of Wyoming
Bodies of water of Lincoln County, Wyoming