Hot Springs

What Are Hot Springs?

Hot springs are defined as springs of water with the water in them at a higher temperature than in the surroundings. The temperature of the hot springs is higher because of the internal heat of the earth's crust, known as the geothermal energy. The water sources itself from the interior of the earth and then vents itself out of the earth's crust. When the water comes out on the surface, it still remains hot with steam emanating from it. This steam is a significant aspect of hot springs.

In some areas, only the steam comes out of fissures in the earth's crust, which is because all the water gets heated into steam before it reaches out of the earth's crust. Such a geological feature is known as a fumarole. Another formation is possible when the fissure is too tiny, which causes the hot water to force itself out with force from the fissure. Such water can reach commendable height. These are known as geysers. Geysers and hot springs are often confused with each other actually. It must be remembered that hot springs flow on the earth's surface, while the geysers are pushed out to a great height from the earth's crust. Actually, geysers are a form of hot springs; but when all geysers are hot springs, all hot springs are not geysers.

How Are Hot Springs Formed?

Hot springs are formed when water, heated due to the geothermal energy, comes up to the surface of the earth. This can happen in several ways. But it must basically be remembered that the interior of the earth is still quite hot. This is evident when the magma from the interior of the earth flows out through a crater during a volcano. The interior of the earth has both hot rocky material as well as molten material, such as that present in the magma.

Sometimes the water comes in contact with these hot materials in the interior of the earth, either hot rocks or the magma itself, and then seeps out onto the surface of the earth. Since the heat present in the crust of the earth is very high, the water heated inside the earth does not dissipate its heat even on percolating out of the earth's crust.

Thus, the hot springs can be caused in both volcanic and non volcanic areas of the world. In the volcanic areas, the magma is responsible for the hot spring, while in the non volcanic areas, the hot rocks present inside the earth's crust are responsible. But it is evident that the hot springs present in the volcanic areas of the world are much hotter than those present in the non volcanic areas, with their temperatures sometimes reaching boiling points.

Hot Springs And Their Impact On Humans

Hot springs have both positive and negative impacts on humans.

Positive Impacts

Hot springs have been always considered to be therapeutic in nature. Most of this belief is justified by the fact that the hot springs emerge from the earth's crust full of minerals and elements from within. The mineral composition of a hot spring is quite high, and their high temperatures facilitate the entry of them into the human body. That is the reason why a whole health industry has evolved around hot springs. The most notable among them is the one at Warm Springs in Atlanta, GA, the one established by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt himself, after he found an improvement to his polio affliction with treatment from this hot spring.

The rush of a geyser coupled with its high temperature is ideal for using them as a source of energy. The geothermal energy of the earth is a vastly untapped nonconventional source of energy. The geysers are now being harnessed to utilize this energy for human purposes.

Hot springs generally make the area more beautiful because they are, after all, springs. The hot steam emanating from these hot springs helps add to their beauty. Coupled with it their health benefits – these are all best ingredients to tap the hot springs as an avenue for tourist attractions. Today, almost all the hot springs of the world are tourist attractions. There are spas and resorts built around them, and they do help bring in or to circulate some economy within the area.

Negative Impacts

Some infections can be caused, or at least propagated, by hot springs. One of the most notable infection is through the ameba Nargleria fowleri. This ameba can cause meningitis, and it thrives in the warm water conditions found in springs. Another culprit is the herpes simplex virus, which can enter into the human body through the foot.