The siphon effect you describe stops working when the vertical column of water exceeds about 33ft. The atmosphere is whats pushing the water (or gas) up the tube.Originally Posted by Skorpiov
Welcome to the Cave Diver's Forum.
The siphon effect you describe stops working when the vertical column of water exceeds about 33ft. The atmosphere is whats pushing the water (or gas) up the tube.
That's incorrect. That would require there to be a 1 ATM difference in air pressure, which is tough since we only have 1 ATM of pressure. The weight of the water flowing downward in what pulls the water upward. You need just enough difference it the height of the surface and outlet to overcome losses, and flow fast enough to not break siphon. If this were the case, you would see periodic surges as the upper reservoir filled and emptied.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." --JFK
There's a bit of a misunderstanding about hydrostatic pressure here. Phillip is looking at an outlet. The inlet is (somewhere) at a higher elevation. Between the higher elevation and his location the water <might> be confined in a lower elevation layer or tunnel. My money is on the plateau being the ultimate source of the water though. How large is the plateau? 200m is a huge amount of head and a whole lot of water could be stored in 200m lens of karst/limestone.
Phillip;
It has to come back to gravity. There has to be water perched on something higher than the outlet. Remember, if you look at the Leon sink system, it is a couple of miles of tunnel between Turner and Wakulla, and the cave that you found could have miles of passage in and around the adjacent mountains. Same type of thing, this could have many outlets or other springs around the area. It could branch off into many different smaller tunnels that drain many acres of mountain tops around the area.
The elevation difference does not have to be great, if a lot of water is draining through a small tunnel, but I would not bet on this.
I would try to find any small crevasses, sinks, holes, standing water that is above the elevation of your spring and dye trace it.
Sounds like you have a lot of work to do.
"Have you ever noticed
When you're feeling really good
There's always a pigeon
That'll come shiat on your hood?" John Prine 4-7-2020
"Into the blue again; in the silent water
Under the rocks, and stones; there is water underground" Talking Heads
Ok, try and siphon into a bucked 33ft above your aquarium. Take a video. I'll be waiting for the lulz
In the mean time, read this. http://www.pump-zone.com/topics/pipi...-sucking-sound
Try to siphon 1 ft above your's, and let me know how it goes.
You are missing the point. That 1 ATM of pressure acting on the higher end of the siphon, is also acting on the lower end. Unless you are dealing with extreme heights (which we are not) those pressures negate themselves.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." --JFK
You can raise water up 1ft. You cant raise it 34ft (without pumps and sumps). Its air pressure that pushes it up the tube, while gravity appears to pull it back down the other side of the tube. Did you read that link? You are correct about air pressure working on both ends, and I misspoke. And mountains are extreme heights (a 30ft mountain isnt much of a mountain), which is the premise of the thread.
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