How Hot Springs Are Formed?

We love bathing in a hot spring because of its natural warm water. Hot spring water has a lot of benefits for our health. For example, bathing in a hot spring can instantly relax your muscles and can help you sleep tight at night. But did you ever wonder how a hot spring was made? Why is hot spring water warm? Where hot springs can be found?

Formation

A hot spring is a place where groundwater is geothermally heated by the energy created by the earth. But not all hot springs are the same, they vary in size and temperature from warm to extremely hot. According to World Atlas, while there is no universally accepted definition, examples of criteria to define hot springs include water that is warmer than its surroundings, warmer than human body temperature, warmer than the ambient ground temperature, or warmer than 50 °C (122 °F). In other places, hot spring water is too hot enough to boil an egg. Hot springs are also believed to relieve pains, boost blood circulation, reduce high blood pressure, promote healthy skin, and even burn calories.

Hot springs can be formed in several ways, but the most common way is when rainwater or groundwater is heated by magma underneath the Earth’s crust. Cracks or faults in the Earth’s surface allow water to flow deeper towards the mantle, where it comes in contact with hot rocks that heat the water. The groundwater is heated by an additional 15 °F for every 1,000 feet of depth. Aside from these, the hot water becomes more viscous and rises through cracks and faults to the Earth’s surface.

Another possible way is when rainwater is heated underground by the radioactive decay of the element present in the rock as the hot water reaches the surface. Depending on the amount of underground pressure, it can flow slowly or quickly. The flow rate of hot springs is generally depending on the volume of underground water and the amount of underground pressure.

Did you know that there are about 40-50 hot spots around the world? These are the areas where rising magma manages to get close enough to the Earth’s surface to produce a big amount of heat. Note that not all hot spots lead to volcanic eruptions.

Based on the National Geographic, a hot spot is an area on Earth over a mantle plume or an area under the rocky outer layer of Earth, called the crust, where magma is hotter than surrounding magma. While the mantle plume is an area under the crust, the rocky outer layer of earth, where magma is hotter than surrounding magma. The heat that is coming from extra hot magma causes melting and thinning of the rocky crust. The extra hot magma produces heat that melts and makes the rocky crust thinner, which leads to widespread volcanic activity on Earth’s surface above the plume.

In some spots, magma heats groundwater before it rises to the surface, which creates a pool of warm water or what we call hot springs. Hot springs’ temperature is usually around 55–57 °F or 13–14 °C. Sometimes, a spring will even fill with hot mud, creating a boiling mud pot.

Laguna Hot Springs

Whether you are an international or local tourist craving for hot and steam bath, Laguna is the perfect hot spring spot. The province of Laguna has developed various water resorts including hot spring resorts and spas. The presence of the hot springs in Laguna is due to the geothermal activities.

Calamba and Los Baños in Laguna Province, Philippines lie between the northern part of Mt. Makiling and north shore of Laguna de Bay. Aside from hot spring resorts, laguna is also known for its recreational centers and it is rich in history; the hometown of our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

Hot spring water has a lot of health benefits. It contains a lot of minerals that can improve our physical and mental health. There are also precautions for pregnant, elderly, and people with health problems.

If you are looking for a hot springs resort for a family outing, wedding reception, team building, or any other valuable event, contact us at lagunahotspring.com to find your ideal hot spring resort in less than 10 minutes.