Eternal flame waterfall: how the incredible mystery of nature in New York originated

In the state of New York, near the city of Buffalo, there is Chestnut Park, where a mysterious waterfall is located. It is called the Eternal Flame Waterfall. The best time to visit is in spring, when the water in it becomes more due to melted snows, but it is interesting at any time of the year. Behind the water cascade there is an eternal flame that does not go out, despite splashes and dampness. The publication told about his riddle Discovery.

When you come closer to the waterfall, you can smell rotten eggs. Literally walking on the smell, you can discover a unique phenomenon - the fire behind the waterfall. More precisely, a fire about 20 centimeters high is located behind one of the grottoes. The height of the waterfall itself is 10 meters.

It is believed to have been lit by Native Americans thousands of years ago. For a long time, scientists believed that the fire burns because of the gas pockets that rise from the old, hottest rock formed from shale. The high temperatures of the rock break down the carbon molecules in the shale, which in turn creates natural gas.

However, a group of scientists from Indiana University led by Professor Arndt Schimmelmann discovered that the shale under the waterfall is actually not hot enough or not old enough to cause gas pockets.

Schimmelmann says: “Gas seepage and fire formation have occurred in these areas for millions of years, and we know that the original rock, about 400 meters deep, is not very warm. It cannot produce a lot of gas at this temperature, but the gas goes on and is not depleted. So, our hypothesis is that another mechanism is responsible for continuous gas formation at depth. " In other words, something else must keep the "eternal flame" burning. Researchers still don't know exactly what it might be.

Mysterious and uniquely one of a kind

There are hundreds of natural “eternal” lights around the world, but the fire in this New York park is definitely one of a kind.

On the subject: Wonder of nature: where one of the most picturesque waterfalls in New York is located

Small but powerful flames under the huge streams of water will take your breath away!

Planning to come? Be sure to take your lighter with you! Despite its reputation for being "eternal," the flames are sometimes extinguished when the wind blows towards the grotto. In fact, travelers light a fire whenever it goes out.