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A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally-heated groundwater from the earth's crust. There are hot springs all over the earth, on every continent and even under the oceans and seas. more...
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Definitions
There is, unfortunately, no universally accepted definition of a hot spring. For example, one can find the phrase hot spring defined as
any geothermal spring;
a spring with water temperatures above its surroundings;
a natural spring with water temperature above body temperature (normally between 36.5°C and 37.5°C, that is, between 97.8°F and 99.5°F ) ;
a natural spring with warm water above body temperature;
a thermal spring with water warmer than 98°F (36.7°C) ;
a natural spring of water greater than 70°F (21.1°C) (synonymous with thermal spring) ;
a natural discharge of groundwater with elevated temperatures;
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. 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 15°F (8°C) or more above the mean air temperature.;
a spring with water above the core human body temperature (36.7°C or 98.06°F).;
a spring with water above average ambient ground temperature, a definition favored by some.;
a spring with water temperatures above 50°C (122°F);
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. The US NOAA Geophysical Data Center defines a "warm spring" as a spring with water between 20°C and 50°C (between 68°F and 122°F).
Sources of heat
The water issuing from a hot spring is heated by 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-volcanic areas is heated in this manner.
Read more at Wikipedia.org
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