Waves splashing at Thor’s Well, Oregon.
Thor’s Well
This hole in the ground is found along the Oregon coastline in Siuslaw National Forest. Best viewed from a distance, the process seen in this shot actually makes it quite hazardous. At low tide it shows up as nothing but a hole in the ground, but when the high tide is right or there are storms kicking waves in, the ocean can live up to the anger of its namesake. When conditions are perfect, water will pour into the well, as seen in this photo. What isn’t seen here is that Thor’s well is a partially collapsed sea cave, so somewhere deeper down it is open to the ocean. When the next wave comes in, it will create pressure in the cave that forces the water from the last wave to rush back out. Water comes in as one wave retreats, then as pressure builds anew that water is forced back out the top in a mighty and dangerous burst.
You can see several of these cycles, including slow motion shots of bursts several meters in the air, in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAheQ6ldM3U
-JBB
Image credit: Bill Young https://flic.kr/p/jmrtD7
References: http://www.oregongeology.org/pubs/og/OBv33n02.pdf http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/siuslaw/recreation/recarea/?recid=42265
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