Why do geysers erupt? Loops in their plumbing.
Volcanologist Michael Manga and his students have studied geysers in Chile and Yellowstone National Park, threading sensors and cameras into the boiling water, and have come up with an explanation for why geysers erupt periodically. They've even built a laboratory geyser that erupts every 20 minutes. The key: the loops and bends in their plumbing. (#30061)