Scientists have discovered a previously unknown chamber beneath Yellowstone's Old Faithful that helps to explain the mechanics behind the geyser's eruptions.
Since it was discovered more than 140 years ago, the geyser has burst forth with amazing regularity and now new research reveals how an underground cavity filled with steam bubbles helps to fuel the massive fountain.
'The first model of geysers made by early explorers one century ago showed a cavity, but no one was able to find the cavity or prove that it existed,' Jean Vandemeulebrouck of the Université de Savoie in Le Bourget du Lac, France, wrote in a paper about the discovery for the Geophysical Research Letters journal.
Eruption: Since it was discovered in 1870, the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park has erupted with an amazing regularity. New research reveals the underground mechanics propelling the massive outbursts
Breakthrough: The newly discovered cavity is described as egg shaped and measures at least 50 feet high and 60 feet wide
The massive blast from a geyser occurs because hot volcanic rocks heat water underground, ultimately bringing the water to a boil.
The new understanding presented by Professor Vandemeulebrouck shows that a separate cavity stores pressurized near-boiling water, steam, and other gases helps that propels Old Faithful’s eruptions.
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The newly discovered cavern sits around 15 feet below ground, southwest of the massive geyser which is located in the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
Researchers are unsure of the chamber's exact measurements but they have estimated that the cavity is egg-shaped and measures at least 50 feet high and 60 feet wide.
Unknown: Previously, scientists did not account for a separate side chamber, storing pressurized near-boiling water, steam, and other gases, in describing what propelled a geyser's eruption
The cone geyser was first discovered in 1870 during the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition.
It spews out bursts of steam approximately every 90 minutes and true to its name, it has erupted more than 100,000 times in its long history.
The fountain can vary in height from 106-184 feet and the eruptions typically last between 1.5 to 5 minutes.
During the blast, scientists estimate that anywhere from 3,700 gallons to 8,400 gallons of water are released.
Natural phenomena: The American national park, most of which sits in Wyoming though it also extends into Montana and Idaho, is the largest site of geysers, approximately 300 to 500 geysers
'Gas bubbles in the cavity apparently explode as they collide with the roof and walls, generating the small amounts of seismic activity that the research team interpreted to reconstruct the cavity’s shape and location,' according to the American Geophysical Union.
The scientist says 'geyser vaporizes groundwater and turns it into steam, which then rises through underground channels toward the surface. Cooler condensed water near the surface blocks the steam’s escape and pushes it back down, creating a pressurized system.'
Steam from the boiling water produces bubbles underground that accumulate in the subterranean reservoir and it builds up pressure until it can no longer be contained.
That pressure pushes the water upward until it spits up from the ground and then bursts into the sky in a magnificent geyser fountain.
Faithful: The historic geyser spews out bursts of steam approximately every 90 minutes. The fountain can vary in height from 106-184 feet and the eruptions typically last between 1.5 to 5 minutes
After a geyser erupts, there is a 15 minute recharge period when the water level in the chamber decreases.
In the next 50 minutes, the water levels begin to rise and seismic activity increases in preparation for another eruption.
Past research has shown that moisture levels impact the frequency of a geyser's eruption, as does seismic activity moving
The American national park, most of which sits in Wyoming though it also extends into Montana and Idaho, is the largest site of geysers.
Yellowstone is home to approximately 300 to 500 geysers, which is half of the world's total of about 1,000.