Springs are an important landform! They provide fresh drinking water as well as therapeutic waters. Did you know ancient Greeks also used hot springs for therapy? Some springs flow all year round, while others are temporary because they depend on rainwater or melting snow. Springs flow downward and many of them flow into rivers. There are a few different types of springs. A hot spring is water that is heated by a volcano or by the earth's core. Some hot springs even release steam into the air, and these are called geysers. Other hot springs contain minerals dissolved from surrounding rocks. These springs are called mineral springs.
Springs are formed when rainwater sinks beneath the surface of the earth. Some of the underground rocks are porous and act as a sponge, soaking up the water. When there is an abundance of underground water, the water pressure will break through the surface of the Earth to create streams. Many people travel to hot springs either for their health benefits or just a visit. New Zealand has some unusual hot springs like Hot Water Beach (aka Te Puia) and 'The Lost Spring' Whitianga. At Hot Water Beach, people dig holes in the sand that fill with spring water (Temperatures range from tepid to scalding in these springs). 'The Lost Spring' Whitianga is a 16,000 year old geothermal spring. The spring is in an Amethyst Cave, full of purple crystals and stalactites. Australia has hot springs in the Northern Territory. Mataranka is well known for its hot springs, but at a caravan park in Katherine there is a small stream, known to the locals, that runs hot and is only found in the dry season. |
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