Hot spring

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Green Dragon Spring at Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park

A hot spring or a hydrothermal spring is a place where warm or hot groundwater issues from the earth on a regular basis for at least a predictable part of the year, and is significantly above the ambient ground temperature (which is usually around 55–57 °F or 13–14 °C in the eastern United States).

Contents

1 Sources of heat
2 Therapeutic uses
3 Hot springs around the world

3.1 Native Americans and hot springs
3.2 Hot springs in the United States
3.3 Hot springs in Canada
3.4 Hot springs in India
3.5 Hot springs in Bulgaria
3.6 Gallery of Hot springs in Japan

4 See also
5 Further reading

Sources of heat

The water issuing from a hot spring is heated by geothermal heat, essentially 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-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; and 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.

Hot springs in the protected area of Rupite, southwestern Bulgaria

Hot springs in Yangmingshan, Taiwan

Warm springs are sometimes the result of hot and cold springs mixing but may also occur outside of geothermal areas, such as Warm Springs, Georgia (frequented for its therapeutic effects by paraplegic U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who built the Little White House there).

Therapeutic uses

Because heated water can hold more dissolved solids, 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 proven medical value some of these springs have, they are often popular tourist destinations, and locations for rehabilitation clinics for those with disabilities. [link] [link]

The countries most famous for hot springs are Iceland, New Zealand and Ikaria-Greece. The onsen (a Japanese word for "hot spring") plays a notable role in Japanese culture and is one of the most popular tourism industries there.

Hot springs around the world

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Hot spring in Lassen Volcanic National Park

Throughout western North America (including Alaska) there are thousands of hot springs, many of which were created between 20 and 45 million years ago as a result of violent volcanic activity. They range in size from the tiniest seeps to near geysers; from seeps like  Fales Hot Ditch north of Bridgeport, California, to subterranean lakes such as the one below Tonopah, Arizona, which provides natural mineral waters to the seven or more hot spring spas that once operated in Tonopah. The ruins of two such spas are still visible.

Native Americans and hot springs

In Tonopah, Arizona, it is probable that water flowed forth from the ground by itself for a few millennia. This led Native Americans to name the area Tonopah, meaning "Hot Water Under The Bush". Native Americans revered the hot springs as a sacred healing place. Though there are no Indian ruins in the immediate vicinity of the hot springs, the presence of grain grinding mortar holes, pottery shards, and other artifacts close by to the west are a clear indication that nomadic hunter-gatherers frequented the area for many years. Every major hot spring in North America, as well as those in South America, has some record of use by Native Americans, some for over 10,000 years.

Additionally, hundreds of very high quality arrowheads have been found at or near existing springs in Tonopah, indicating that Tonopah was a popular hunting ground. This abundance of artifacts is indicative of the importance of the springs to prehistoric peoples.

Native Americans always used these natural shrines in a state of complete nudity. If opposing tribes, even those at war, arrived at the same spring, all conflict ceased because they believed they were walking on sacred ground. Conversations were in hushed tones or, more often, didn't take place at all.

Hot springs in the United States

USA geothermal springs.

At least seven United States national parks feature hot springs:

Bridgeport, CA

Other hot or warm springs are located in:

Alaska
*Baranof Warm Springs
Arizona
*Tonopah
California
*Big Bend Hot Springs
*Calistoga
*Esalen in Big Sur
*Harbin Hot Springs in Middletown, California
*Palm Springs, California
Colorado
*Glenwood Springs, Colorado
*Ouray, Colorado
Georgia
*Radium Springs
Idaho
*Lava Hot Springs
New Mexico
*Truth or Consequences
Oregon
*Cougar Hot Springs
*Umpqua Hot Springs
*Breitenbush Hot Springs
Utah
*Spanish Fork
Virginia
*Warm Springs
Wyoming
*Saratoga, Wyoming
*Thermopolis, Wyoming

For a "complete list" of all the hot springs located in the United States can be found on the [Thermal Springs List for the United States]

Hot springs in Canada

These springs are located in western Canada:

Ainsworth: Cody Caves
Banff National Park, Alberta: Upper Hot Springs, near the Town of Banff
Jasper National Park, Alberta: Miette Hot Springs, near the Municipality of Jasper
Revelstoke, British Columbia: Canyon Hot Springs
Invermere, British Columbia: Fairmont Hot Springs
Kootenay National Park, British Columbia: Radium Hot Springs
Purcell Wilderness Conservancy, British Columbia: Dewar Hot Springs
Gibson Marine Provincial Park: Ahousat Hot Springs
Harrison Hot Springs, near Vancouver, British Columbia
Maquinna Provincial Park: Hot Springs Cove
Village of Nakusp: Coyote Springs, Halcyon Hot Springs, Halfway River, Nakusp Hot Springs, Octopus Creek, St. Leon, Upper Halfway River and Wilson Lake
Pemberton: Meagre Creek Hot Springs, Sloquet Creek Hot Springs and Skookumchuck Hot Springs
The Queen Charlotte Islands: Hot Springs Island
Skookumchuck: Ram Creek Hot Springs
Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park: Lussier Hot Springs
Yukon Territory: Takhini Hot Springs
Alaska Highway, (Northern British Columbia): Liard River Hot Springs

There are also hot springs in Greenland.

Hot springs in India

Ganeshpuri, Akloli, Vajreshwari
Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh

Hot springs in Bulgaria

Gallery of Hot springs in Japan

Image:Onsen in Nachikatsuura, Japan.jpg|Open air hotspring(Nanki-Katsuura in Wakayama Pref.) Image:Jigokudani hotspring in Nagano Japan 001.jpg|Monkeys in open air hotspring Image:Suwa Hotspring in Nagano Japan 001.JPG|Geyser of Kamisuwa(上諏訪) in Nagano Pref. Image:Oobuka Onsen Akita 02.jpg|Bathroom in Hotspring (in Oofuka(大深温泉))