Rhythmic springs are those springs that exhibit tidal characteristics.
In other words, the water level of these springs rises and falls over a fairly regular time period.
Sometimes the spring would stop flowing completely and start again after a couple of hours or minutes.
The cause of this periodicity is not truly understood but there is a fairly sound theory.
The Intermittent Spring of Wyoming.
As water fills the cavern, it also fills the tube.
This causes a siphon effect, sucking water out of the cavern until it empties.
Water level in the cavern then starts to rise again and the cycle repeats.
Possible working principle of a rhythmic spring.
Image credit: Bonacci & Bojanic
Rhythmic springs are a rare phenomenon.
According to one study, there might be no more than a hundred rhythmic springs worldwide.
This spring has a period of 2 hours and 47 minutes.
The spring’s flow ranges from an indiscernible trickle to nearly 2,000 liters per minute.
Another well known rhythmic spring is the Gihon Spring Jerusalem.
It was once the main source of water for the City of David in Biblical times.
