Intermittent Spring, located in Swift Creek

Swift Creek

Swift Creek is a creek in western Wyoming. Swift Creek rises in the Salt River Range and initially runs north before turning sharply westward. The creek then winds down through Swift Creek Canyon and passes through the town of Afton, Wyoming before emptying into the Salt River....

 canyon

Canyon

A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...

 in Star Valley

Star Valley

Star Valley is located in the United States between the Salt River Range in western Wyoming and the Webster Range of eastern Idaho. The altitude of the valley ranges from to . Three major Wyoming rivers, the Salt River, the Greys River and the Snake River meet near Alpine Junction at Palisades...

, near Afton, Wyoming

Afton, Wyoming

Afton is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,818 at the 2000 census.Afton is home to the world's largest elk horn arch...

, is the largest rhythmic spring in the world.

The great great grandfather of the Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner

Rulon Gardner

Rulon Gardner is an American Olympian who competed in the 2000 Olympic games, winning the gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling upon defeating Russian Aleksandr Karelin, who was previously undefeated in 13 years of international competition...

 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

Drinking water

Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...

. 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. Professor Kip Solomon, a hydrologist

Hydrology

Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...

 at the University of Utah

University of Utah

The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...

, 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
  The Gihon Spring was the main source of water for the City of David, the original site of Jerusalem. One of the world's major intermittent springs - and a reliable water source that made human settlement possible in ancient Jerusalem - the spring was not only used for drinking water, but also...
  
  , another well known rhythmic spring, located in the ancient City of David
• Salt River Range
  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 ....