Hot spring
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2008-07-16T06:30:39Z
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{{for|places with similar name|Hot Springs}}
[[Image:Churning Caldron.jpg|thumb|Churning Caldron in [[Yellowstone National Park]]]]
[[Image:Crepuscular rays and Dead trees at Mammoth Hot Springs.jpg|thumb|right|[[Steam]] [[Crepuscular rays]] at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_areas_of_Yellowstone#Mammoth_Hot_Springs Mammoth Hot Springs] ]]
[[Image:Yangmingshan Taiwan hot springs.jpg|right|thumb|Fumarole in [[Yangmingshan]], [[Taiwan]]]]
[[Image:natural iron hot spring.jpg|right|thumb|"Blood Pond" hot spring in [[Beppu]], [[Japan]]]]
A '''hot spring''' is a [[Spring (hydrosphere)|spring]] that is produced by the emergence of [[Geothermal (geology)|geothermally-heated]] [[groundwater]] from the earth's [[crust (geology)|crust]]. There are hot springs all over the [[earth]], on every continent and even under the oceans and seas.
==Definitions==<!-- This section is linked from [[Bath, Somerset]] -->
There is no universally accepted definition of a hot spring. For example, one can find the phrase ''hot spring'' defined as
* any [[Geothermal (geology)|geothermal]] spring<ref>[http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861692101 MSN Encarta definition of hot spring]</ref>
* a spring with water temperatures above its surroundings<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=hot+spring Miriam-Webster Online dictionary definition of hot spring]</ref>
* a natural spring with water temperature above [[body temperature]] – normally between {{convert|36.5|°C|°F}} and {{convert|37.5|°C|°F}}<ref>[http://www.wordsmyth.net/live/home.php?script=search&matchent=hot+spring&matchtype=exact Wordsmyth definition of hot spring]</ref>
* a natural spring with warm water above body temperature<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/61/35/H0293500.html American Heritage dictionary, fourth edition (2000) definition of hot spring]</ref>
* a thermal spring with water warmer than {{convert|36.7|°C|°F|1}}<ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/hot+spring Infoplease definition of hot spring]</ref> <ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hot+spring&r=66 Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. definition of hot spring]</ref>
* a natural spring of water greater than {{convert|21.1|°C|°F|1}} (synonymous with thermal spring) <ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hot+spring&r=66 Wordnet 2.0 definition of hot spring]</ref><ref>[http://www.ultralingua.com/onlinedictionary/?service=ee&text=hot+spring Interlingua Online dictionary definition of hot spring]</ref><ref>[http://www.rhymezone.com/r/rhyme.cgi?Word=hot_spring Rhymezone definition of hot spring]</ref><ref>[http://lookwayup.com/lwu.exe/lwu/d?s=f&w=hot_spring Lookwayup definition of hot spring]</ref>
* a natural discharge of [[groundwater]] with elevated temperatures<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/65/ho/hotsprin.html Columbia Encyclopedia, sixth edition, article on hot spring]</ref>
* a type of thermal spring in which hot water is brought to the surface. The water temperature of a hot spring is usually 6.5 °C (11.7 °F) or more above mean air temperature. <ref>[http://www.webref.org/geology/h/hot_spring.htm ''Physical Geology, 6th Edition'', Don L. Leet, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1982]</ref><ref>A thermal spring is defined as a spring that brings warm or hot water to the surface. by [http://www.webref.org/geology/h/hot_spring.htm ''Physical Geology, 6th Edition'', Don L. Leet, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1982] and Leet states that there are two types of thermal springs; hot springs and warm springs.</ref> Note that by this definition, "thermal spring" is not synonymous with the term "hot spring".
* a spring whose hot water is brought to the surface (synonymous with a thermal spring). The water temperature of the spring is usually 8.3 °C (14.9 °F) or more above the mean air temperature.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nalms.org/Resources/Glossary.aspx?show=H|title=Water Words Glossary - Hot Spring|publisher=NALMS|accessdate=2008-04-04|year=2007}}</ref>
* a spring with water above the core human body temperature – {{convert|36.7|°C|°F|1}}.<ref>[http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/rp/rp2_abst_e?cjes_e03-083_40_ns_nf_cjes ''What is a hot spring?'', Allan Pentecost, B. Jones, and R.W. Renaut Can. J. Earth Sci./Rev. can. sci. Terre 40(11): 1443-1446 (2003) provides a critical discussion of the definition of a hot spring.]</ref>
* a spring with water above average ambient ground temperature<ref>For example, ambient ground temperature is usually around 55–57°F (13–14°C) in the eastern [[United States]]</ref>, a definition favored by some.
* a spring with water temperatures above {{convert|50|°C|°F}}<ref> US [[NOAA]] Geophysical Data Center definition</ref>
[[Image:HotSpring 8344.jpg|thumb|Hot spring in [[Lassen Volcanic National Park]]]]
The related term "'''warm spring'''" is defined as a spring with water temperature less than a hot spring by many sources, although Pentecost et al (2003) suggest that the phrase "warm spring" is not useful and should be avoided.<ref>[http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/rp/rp2_abst_e?cjes_e03-083_40_ns_nf_cjes ''What is a hot spring?'', Allan Pentecost, B. Jones, and R.W. Renaut Can. J. Earth Sci./Rev. can. sci. Terre 40(11): 1443-1446 (2003) provides a critical discussion of the definition of a hot spring.]</ref> The US [[NOAA]] Geophysical Data Center defines a "warm spring" as a spring with water between {{convert|20|°C|°F}} and {{convert|50|°C|°F}}. The ♨ symbol is commonly used on [[maps]] to denote a hot spring.
==Sources of heat==
[[Image:Suwa Hotspring in Nagano Japan 001.JPG|thumb|Geyser in [[Kamisuwa]] (上諏訪), [[Nagano Prefecture|Nagano Pref.]]]]
The [[water]] issuing from a hot spring is heated by [[geothermal (geology)|geothermal]] heat, i.e., [[heat]] from the [[Earth]]'s interior. In general, the temperature of rocks within the earth increases with depth. The rate of temperature increase with depth is known as the geothermal [[gradient]]. If water percolates deeply enough into the crust, it will be heated as it comes into contact with hot rocks. The water from hot springs in non-[[volcano|volcanic]] areas is heated in this manner.
In volcanic zones such as [[Yellowstone National Park]], water may be heated by coming into contact with [[magma]] (molten rock). The high temperature gradient near magma may cause water to be heated enough that it boils or becomes [[superheated]]. If the water becomes so hot that it builds [[steam]] pressure and erupts in a jet above the surface of the Earth, it is called a [[geyser]]. If the water only reaches the surface in the form of [[steam]], it is called a [[fumarole]]. If the water is mixed with mud and [[clay]], it is called a [[mud pot]].
Note that hot springs in volcanic areas are often at or near the [[boiling point]]. People have been seriously burned and even killed by accidentally or intentionally entering these springs.
Warm springs are sometimes the result of hot and [[spring (hydrosphere)|cold springs]] mixing but may also occur outside of volcanic areas, such as [[Warm Springs, Georgia]] (frequented for its [[physical therapy|therapeutic]] effects by [[paraplegic]] [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt|Franklin D. Roosevelt]], who built the [[Little White House]] there).
==Flow rates==
[[Image:Bridgeport hot springs.jpg|thumb|hot spring in [[Bridgeport, CA]]]]
[[Image:Islande source Deildartunguhver.jpg|thumb|[[Deildartunguhver]], [[Iceland]]: the highest flow hot spring in [[Europe]]]]
Hot springs range in flow rate from the tiniest "seeps" to veritable rivers of hot water. Sometimes there is enough pressure that the water shoots upward in a [[geyser]], or [[fountain]].
A very low flow rate hot spring fed the closed resort, [[Fales Hot Ditch]], which is north of [[Bridgeport, California|Bridgeport]], [[California]]. There is a huge subterranean lake below [[Tonopah, Arizona|Tonopah]], [[Arizona]], which provides natural hot [[mineral waters]] to several hot springs. These hot springs were used by the seven or more hot spring [[spa]]s that once operated in Tonopah. The ruins of two such spas are still visible in Tonopah.
===High flow hot springs===
There are many claims in the literature about the flow rates of hot springs. Some of the hot springs with high flow rates and high claimed flow rates. It should be noted that there are many more very high flow nonthermal springs than geothermal springs. For example, there are 33 recognized "magnitude one [[Spring (hydrosphere)|springs]]" (having a flow in excess of 2,800 liters/second) in [[Florida]] alone. [[Silver Springs, Florida]] has a flow of more than 21,000 liters/second. Springs with high flow rates include:
* The combined flow of the 47 hot springs in [[Hot Springs, Arkansas]] is 35 liters/second.
* The combined flow of the hot springs complex in [[Truth or Consequences, New Mexico]] is estimated at 99 liters/second.<ref>[http://geoheat.oit.edu/bulletin/bull23-4/art5.pdf ''Truth or Consequences, New Mexico- A Spa City,''] John W. Lund, James C. Witcher,GHC Bulletin, December 2002.</ref>
* [[Lava Hot Springs]] in [[Idaho]] has a flow of 130 liters/second.
* [[Glenwood Springs]] in [[Colorado]] has a flow of 143 liters/second.
* [[Elizabeth Springs]] in western [[Queensland]], [[Australia]] might have had a flow of 158 liters/second in the late 1800s, but now has a flow of about 5 liters/second
* [[Deildartunguhver]] in [[Iceland]] has a flow of 180 liters/second.
* The hot springs of [[Brazil]]'s [[Caldas Novas]] ("Hot River" in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]) are tapped by 86 wells, from which 333 liters/second are pumped for 14 hours per day. This corresponds to a peak average flow rate of 3.89 liters/second per well.
* The 2,850 hot springs of [[Beppu]] in [[Japan]] are the highest flow hot spring complex in Japan. Together the Beppu hot springs produce about 1,592 liters/second, or corresponding to an average hot spring flow of 0.56 liters/second.
* The 303 hot springs of [[Kokonoe, Ōita|Kokonoe]] in [[Japan]] produce 1,028 liters/second, which gives the average hot spring a flow of 3.39 liters/second.
* The [[Oita Prefecture]] has 4,762 hot springs, with a total flow of 4,437 liters/second, so the average hot spring flow is 0.93 liters/second.
* The highest flow rate hot spring in [[Japan]] is the [[Tamagawa Hot Spring]] in [[Akita Prefecture]], which has a flow rate of 150 liters/second. The Tamagawa Hot Spring feeds a {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide stream with a temperature of {{convert|98|°C|°F}}.
* There are at least three hot springs in the [[Nage]] region {{convert|8|km|mi|abbr=on}} south west of [[Bajawa City]] in [[Indonesia]] that collectively produce more than 453.6 liters/second.
* There are another three large hot springs (Mengeruda, Wae Bana and Piga) {{convert|18|km|mi|abbr=on}} north east of [[Bajawa City]], [[Indonesia]] that together produce more than 450 liters/second of hot water.
* The [[Dalhousie Springs]] complex in [[Australia]] had a peak total flow of more than 23,000 liters/second in 1915, giving the average spring in the complex an output of more than 325 liters/second. This has been reduced now to a peak total fow of 17,370 liters/second so the average spring has a peak output of about 250 liters/second.<ref>[http://www.wetlands.dri.edu/2002/Ponder.pdf ''Desert Springs of Great Australian Arterial Basin'', W. F. Ponder, Conference Proceedings. Spring-fed Wetlands: Important Scientific and Cultural Resources of the Intermountain Region, 2002.]</ref>
==Therapeutic uses==
[[Image:Onsen in Nachikatsuura, Japan.jpg|thumb|Japanese open air hot spring in [[Nachikatsuura, Wakayama]]]]
Because heated water can hold more [[solvation|dissolved]] [[solid]]s, warm and especially hot springs also often have a very high [[mineral]] content, containing everything from simple [[calcium]] to [[lithium]], and even [[radium]]. Because of both the [[folklore]] and the claimed [[medical]] value some of these springs have, they are often popular [[tourist]] destinations, and locations for [[physical therapy|rehabilitation]] [[clinic]]s for those with [[disabilities]].<ref>[http://www.rooseveltrehab.org The web site of the Roosevelt rehabilitation clinic in Warm Springs, Georgia]</ref><ref>[http://www.warmsprings.org Web site of rehabilitation clinics in Central Texas created because of a geothermal spring]</ref>
==Infections from hot springs==
Unfortunately, hot springs can create ideal conditions to spread infections. For example:
* ''[[Naegleria fowleri]]'', an [[amoeba]], lives in warm waters and soils worldwide and can be a cause of [[meningitis]].<ref>[http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic2807.htm emedicine article on naegleria]</ref><ref>[http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1550-7408.2003.tb00614.x?cookieSet=1 ''Occurrence and Distribution of Naegleria Species in Thermal Waters in Japan'', Shinji Izumiyama, Kenji Yagita, Reiko Furushima-Shimogawara, Tokiko Asakura, Tatsuya Karasudani, Takuro Endo, The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology Vol. 50 Issue s1 Page 514 July 2003]</ref> Several deaths have been attributed to this amoeba, which enters the brain through the nasal passages.<ref>[http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046/j.1440-1827.1999.00893.x ''Primary amebic meningoencephalitis due to Naegleria fowleri: An autopsy case in Japan'', Yasuo Sugita, Teruhiko Fujii, Itsurou Hayashi, Takachika Aoki, Toshirou Yokoyama, Minoru Morimatsu, Toshihide Fukuma & Yoshiaki Takamiya, Pathology International, Volume 49 Page 468 - May 1999]</ref><ref>[http://www.southernnewmexico.com/Articles/Southwest/GilaWilderness/HotspringsintheGilaNation.html Southern New Mexico web site article about some local hot springs, including a warning about ''Naegleria fowler'']</ref>
* [[Acanthamoeba]] also can spread through hot springs, according to the US [[Centers for Disease Control]].<ref>[http://www.cdc.gov/Ncidod/dpd/parasites/acanthomoeba/factsht_acanthamoeba.htm CDC description of acanthamoeba]</ref>
* [[Legionella]] [[bacteria]] have been spread through hot springs.<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9130230&dopt=Abstrac ''Molecular determination of infection source of a sporadic Legionella pneumonia case associated with a hot spring bath'', H. Miyamoto, S. Jitsurong, R. Shiota, K. Maruta, S. Yoshida, E. Yabuuchi, Microbiol Immunol., 41(3):197-202, 1997.]</ref><ref>[http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=15675965 ''An outbreak of legionellosis in a new facility of hot spring Bath in Hiuga City'', Eiko Yabauuchi, Kunio Agata, Kansenshogaku zasshi (Kansenshogaku zasshi), ISSN 0387-5911, vol. 78, no2, pp. 90-98, 2004.]</ref>
*A bather may have been infected by the [[herpes simplex virus]] in his toe from a hot spring in Japan.<ref>[http://dermatology.cdlib.org/101/case_presentations/herpes/ozawa.html ''Indolent herpetic whitlow of the toe in an elderly patient with diabetic neuropathy'', Maki Ozawa, Tomoyuki Ohtani, and Hachiro Tagami, Dermatology Online Journal 10 (1): 16, 2004.]</ref>
* Viruses have been collected from very extreme environments, for example, a hot spring with a temperature of {{convert|87|°C|°F}} to {{convert|93|°C|°F}} and an incredibly acidic [[pH]] of 1.5 in [[Pozzuoli]], [[Italy]]. These viruses were observed to infect cells in the laboratory.<ref>[http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1181580 ''Viral Diversity in Hot Springs of Pozzuoli, Italy, and Characterization of a Unique Archaeal Virus, Acidianus Bottle-Shaped Virus, from a New Family, the Ampullaviridae'', Monika Häring, Reinhard Rachel, Xu Peng, Roger A. Garrett, and David Prangishvili1, J. Virol., 79(15): 9904–9911, August 2005.]</ref>
==Hot springs around the world==
[[Image:Geothermal springs map US.png|thumb|250px|Distribution of [[Geothermal (geology)|geothermal]] springs in the US]]
[[Image:Jigokudani hotspring in Nagano Japan 001.jpg|thumb|[[Macaques]] enjoying an open air hot spring or "[[onsen]]" in [[Nagano]]]]
{{main|Hot springs around the world}}
There are hot springs on all continents and in many countries around the world. Countries that are renowned for their hot springs include [[Iceland]], [[New Zealand]], [[Chile]], [[Canada]], [[Taiwan]],
and [[Japan]], but there are interesting and unique hot springs in many other places as well:
* The town of [[Spa, Belgium]] is the origin of the word "[[spa]]" and features springs with water temperatures of {{convert|32|°C|°F}}. [[Casanova]] visited Spa in 1783 looking for business opportunities but was disappointed.<ref>''Spa: Belgium's healthy-living retreat'', Gareth Bourne and Sarah Hajibagheri, The Independent, [[November 3]] [[2006]]</ref>
* [[Aachen]], [[Germany]] has the hottest springs of [[Central Europe]] with water temperatures of {{convert|74|°C|°F}}.
* There are more than 275 hot springs registered in [[Chile]] including South America's largest hot spring source in [[Liquiñe]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
* The [[Yangbajing]] hot springs field about 87 km. north of [[Lhasa]] in Tibet is several square kilometers in size, and used to supply a large fraction of the electricity of [[Lhasa]]. At an altitude between {{convert|4290|m|ft|abbr=on}} and {{convert|4500|m|ft|abbr=on}}, this is a strong candidate for the highest altitude set of hot springs on earth.
* [[Taiwan]], is ranked among one of the world's top hot spring sites, harboring a great variety of springs, including hot springs, cold springs, mud springs, and seabed hot springs.
* [[Icaria]], [[Greece]] features a radioactive hot water spring that has been used since the fourth century BCE.
* There are numerous hot springs in [[Greenland]], such as in [[Uunartoq]]. There are over 2000 hot springs just on [[Disko Island]], which has an area only 0.4% of that of [[Greenland]].
* The [[Geysir|Geysir hot springs]] in [[Iceland]] are the source of the word "geyser".
*The closest town to [[Machu Picchu]] in [[Peru]] is Machu Picchu Pueblo, which features several hot springs. The local name for Machu Picchu Pueblo is [[Aguas Calientes, Peru|Aguas Calientes]].
* Iceland has many famous hot springs, including the one feeding the [[Blue Lagoon (geothermal spa)|Blue Lagoon]] spa in [[Grindavík]], [[Iceland]], and Europe's highest flow rate hot spring [[Deildartunguhver]]. [[Deildartunguhver]]'s water emerges at {{convert|97|°C|°F}} and is piped many miles to heat neighboring towns.
* [[Shiretoko National Park]] in [[Hokkaidō]], [[Japan]] has a hot springs [[waterfall]] called ''Kamuiwakkayu-no-taki'', which translates as "river of the gods" in the [[Ainu language]].
* Onsens at Seven Nanadaru Falls in Izu Peninsula near Tokyo [http://active-naturists.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-about-swimming-in-naturally-hot.html]
* [[Northwest Spitsbergen National Park]], [[Spitsbergen]] at 80 degrees north, contains two of earth's most northerly hot springs.
* There are many [[UK Geothermal Springs|geothermal springs in the UK]], but the thermal springs found in the town of [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] produce the highest temperature geothermal water in the UK. The Bath hot springs are only true hot springs in the UK, by some definitions.
* [[Oymyakon]] in eastern [[Siberia]] is a candidate for the coldest permanently-inhabited location in the Northern Hemisphere and another hot springs site. The [[Yakut language]] word "oymyakon" means "river doesn't freeze" after the local tributary of the [[Indigirka River]] fed by the hot springs which continues to flow year round in this [[permafrost]] region.
* Being located in the "[[Pacific Ring of Fire]]", Japan is in a volcanic region, and is home to many hot springs. The [[onsen]] (a Japanese word for "hot spring") plays a notable role in Japanese culture. Visiting an onsen is a quintessential Japanese experience and is a popular tourist activity.
* [[Chutsen Chugang Hot Springs]] are located on the grounds of the [[Zhoto]] [[Terdrom]] / [[Tidro]] [[Nunnery]], at an altitude of 4400 meters in [[Maldrogongkar]] / [[Mozhugongka]] County, [[Lhasa]], [[Tibet]]. [[Buddhist]] nuns and the "[[hot spring snake]]" both live near this set of high altitude hot springs.
* there is a hot spring on [[Deception Island]] in [[Antarctica]].
* Champaign Hot Springs is a shallow submarine geothermal spring system along the coast of the island of [[Dominica]], [[Lesser Antilles]].<ref>[http://chuma.cas.usf.edu/~pichler/papers/CHEMGEO%202005%20Dominica.pdf ''Geochemistry of Champagne Hot Springs shallow hydrothermal vent field and associated sediments, Dominica, Lesser Antilles'', Kevin T. McCarthy, Thomas Pichler, Roy E. Price, Chemical Geology 224, pages 55– 68, 2005]</ref>
==See also==
{{commonscat|Hot springs}}
* [[Hotspot (geology)]]
* [[Hot Springs]]
* [[Onsen]]
* [[Spa town]]
* [[List of spa towns]]
* [[UK Geothermal Springs]]
* [[Taiwanese hot springs]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==Further reading==
*Marjorie Gersh-Young, ''Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Southwest: Jayson Loam's Original Guide,'' Aqua Thermal Access, 2007. ISBN 1-890880-07-8.
* Marjorie Gersh-Young, ''Hot Springs & Hot Pools Of The Northwest,'' Aqua Thermal Access, 2008. ISBN 1-890880-08-6.
*G. J Woodsworth, ''Hot springs of Western Canada: a complete guide,'' West Vancouver: Gordon Soules Book Publishers. 1999. ISBN 0-919574-03-3.
*Clay Thompson, "Tonopah: It's Water Under The Bush", the ''Arizona Republic'' 1-12-03, p. B12.
==External links==
* [http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/nndc/struts/results?op_0=eq&v_0=&op_1=l&v_1=&op_2=l&v_2=&t=100006&s=1&d=1 Thermal Springs List for the United States] - 1,661 hot springs
* [http://geoheat.oit.edu/bulletin/bull23-2/art5.pdf Map of groundwater temperatures in Great Artesian Basin, Australia.]
* [http://www.os.is/Apps/WebObjects/Orkustofnun.woa/swdocument/1883/04+Bahati+IGC+2003.pdf A scholarly paper with a map of over 20 geothermal areas in Uganda]
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