List of hot springs

Contents

There are hot springs on all continents and in many countries around the world. Countries that are renowned for their hot springs include, Israel, Iceland, New Zealand, Chile and Japan, but there are interesting and unique hot springs in many other places as well.

Africa

Algeria

Egypt

Uganda

A scholarly paper with a map of over 20 geothermal areas in Uganda.

Zambia

Americas

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

Main article: Native Americans and hot springs

Every major hot spring in North America and South America has some record of use by Native Americans, some for over 10,000 years. Native Americans revered hot springs as a sacred healing place.

In Tonopah, Arizona, it is probable that water flowed forth from the ground by itself for a few millennia. This led the local people to name the area Tonopah, meaning "Hot Water Under The Bush". Though there are no Native American 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. Additionally, hundreds of very high quality arrowheads have been found at or near existing springs in Tonopah, indicating that it 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. If opposing tribes, even those at war, arrived at the same spring, all conflict ceased because they believed they were walking on sacred ground.[1]

United States

Other hot or warm springs are located in:

A list of 1661 hot springs in the United States can be found on the Thermal Springs List for the United States. The same list with added notes and links can be found on the USA Hotsprings Database.

México

Brazil

Brazil claims to be home to the world's largest hot spring resort in the city of Caldas Novas.

Canada

There are hot springs throughout Canada, particularly in the far west. Here are some prominent hot springs located in Western Canada:

Chile

There are more than 275 hot springs registered in Chile.

Costa Rica

Ecuador

Greenland

There are numerous hot springs in Greenland:

Peru

Antarctica

Asia

China

Notes

India

Indonesia

uani hot spring in the south Gujarat, temperature ranging from 57 to 61 degrees C.

Israel

Japan

Main article: Onsen

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.

In March 2003 it was reported that there were 3,102 spa resorts in 2,292 municipalities in Japan. There were also 15,400 lodging facilities with 6,740 public hot spring baths. About 138 million people a year visit these facilities.[2]

Famous hot springs areas in Japan

Notes

Korea

Kyrgyzstan

Malaysia

Various hot springs, all nonvolcanic. They include -

Philippines

Singapore

Taiwan

See Taiwanese hot springs.

Thailand

Turkey

Vietnam

Europe

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Germany

Greece

Thermophylae

Hungary

Iceland

Italy

Macedonia

Norway

Romania

Serbia

Spain

Turkey

United Kingdom

There are many geothermal springs in the UK, but the hot springs found in the town of Bath [3][4][5][6] are the only true hot springs (defined as those hotter than 37 degrees C):

There are other thermal or warm springs in the U.K [5] and include;

Oceania

Australia

Hot springs can be found in all six states of Australia as well as the Northern Territory; but apparently not Australian Capital Territory.

Map of groundwater temperatures in Great Artesian Basin, Australia.

Fiji

Hot springs are in the town of Savusavu where local people use the hot springs to cook their food. Some of the springs are situated on the beach and steam can be seen rising from the water at low tide.

New Zealand

Main article: Hot springs in New Zealand

There are numerous hot springs in New Zealand, predominantly in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, and in particular around Rotorua. Well known springs outside the Taupo Volcanic Zone include The Lost Spring in Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula, Hot Water Beach, Waiwera, and Hanmer Springs.

Hot springs parks

It is common to create parks around hot springs:

United States

Hot Springs National Park, in Hot Springs, Arkansas was the first national park to gain federal protection in the US.[12] There are at least seven United States national parks that feature hot springs:

See also

References

  1. ^ Historical Impacts of Geothermal Resources on the People of North America, John W. Lund, orig. published in Proceedings of the 1995 World Geothermal Congress, Florence, Italy, 1995, revised version published in Geo-Heat Center Bulletin, Vol. 16, No. 4, retrieved Nov. 9, 2006
  2. ^ A Japanese newsletter about hot springs, in English
  3. ^ Edmunds W. M. 2004.Bath thermal waters: 400 years in the history of geochemistry and hydrogeology. Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 225: 193 - 199.
  4. ^ a b Burgess, W.G., Edmunds, W.M., Andrews, J.N., Kay, R.L.F and Lee, D. J. 1980. The hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of the thermal water in the Bath-Bristol Basin. Institute of Geological Sciences"
  5. ^ a b Barker J. A., Downing R. A., Gray, D. A., Findlay, J., Kellaway G. A., Parker R. H., and Rollin K. E.2000. Hydrogeothermal studies in the United Kingdom. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 33: 41 - 58
  6. ^ Gallois, R.W. 2006. The geology of the hot springs at Bath Spa, Somerset. Geoscience in south-west England, 11, 168-173
  7. ^ Environment Agency Wales.2011.The Hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of the thermal waters at Taff's Well. Environment Agency Wales internal report
  8. ^ Brassington, F. C. 2007. A proposed conceptual model for the genesis of the Derbyshire thermal springs. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrology, 40, 35-46
  9. ^ Gunn, J., Bottrell, S.H., Lowe, D.J & Worthington, S.R.H. 2006. Deep Groundwater flow and geochemical processes in limestone aquifers : evidence from thermal waters in Derbyshire, England, UK. Hydrogeology Journal (2006) 14: 868-881
  10. ^ Goldscheider, N., Mádl-Szőnyi., Erőss & Schill, E. 2010. Review : Thermal Waters in carbonate rock aquifers. Hydrogeology Journal 18 : 1303-1318
  11. ^ Innot Hot Springs, Big Trip.
  12. ^ The US Congress established the Hot Springs Reservation in 1832, granting federal protection of the thermal waters and giving Hot Springs the honor of being the first US "national park" to be designated for such government protection. Yellowstone National Park was made the first formal US national park in 1872. Hot Springs National Park was formally created on March 4, 1921.

External links