A hot spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust . Hot springs are in many places, especially in mountain s.

Definitions [ change | change source ]

There is no universally accepted definition of a hot spring. For example, one can find the phrase hot spring defined as

• any geothermal spring ^[1]
• a spring with water temperatures above its surroundings ^{[2] [3]}
• a spring with water temperatures above 50 °C (122 °F) ^[4]
• a natural spring with water temperature above body temperature ? normally between 36.5 and 37.5 °C (97.7 and 99.5 °F) ^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}
• a natural spring of water greater than 21.1 °C (70 °F) (synonymous with thermal spring) ^{[10] [11] [12] [13]}
• a natural discharge of groundwater with elevated temperatures ^[14]

Sources of heat [ change | change source ]

The water issuing from a hot spring is heated by geothermal energy , i.e., heat from the Earth 's mantle .

Related pages [ change | change source ]

• Geyser
• Hydrothermal vent

References [ change | change source ]