Mysterious Mechanics of Geysers Unveiled [VIDEO]

As invasive field work is forbidden in Yellowstone, the great majority of their hard data came from a geyser in the Atacama desert of Chile, dubbed El Jefe (The Cheif). Over six days of observation, El Jefe erupted about 3,600 times, boiling water to about 187 degrees Fahrenheit. They compared this data to observations and above-ground data taken from Yellowstone's own geyser fields.

This data helped them formulate several theories that they then tested back at their lab in proof-of-concept experiments. The results were recently published in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research.

But why was Manga and his team so hung up on geysers in the first place? Believe it or not, there is still a lot about awe-inspiring natural phenomena, such as glacial shifts, volcanoes, and, yes, even geysers, that we know nothing about. Tack on the fact there are fewer than 1,000 known geysers around the world and you've got yourself a tantalizing mystery.

And if researchers could completely solve this mystery, it may help them better understand others. Manga says that studying geysers may also help experts gain insight into volcano eruptions. They may very well have similar mechanics, but no sensor or pressure set could ever survive being fed into the fiery and dense cavity of a volcano.

"One of our goals is to figure out why geysers exist - why don't you just get a hot spring - and what is it that controls how a geyser erupts, including weather and earthquakes," Manga added.

Even now, with this understanding of the "loop" mechanic, there is still much more work to be done.