Dirty-water events at Rocky Mountain Hot Springs and their correlation with other short-lived phenomena

1984 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 997-1007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert O. van Everdingen

The Radium (British Columbia) and Miette (Alberta) hot springs occasionally produce "dirty" water that carries varying amounts of solid particles in suspension. Dirty-water events in the period 1959–1983 were caused either by heavy rains (or rapid snowmelt) or by earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.9 or greater, between 740 and 2300 km distant from the springs, in Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Rainfall-induced events at Miette appear to require at least 34 mm of rain within a 48 h period. Associated decreases in water temperatures and dissolved-solids concentrations and changes in the ionic and isotopic compositions of the spring waters result from mixing of deep thermal water with cooler, less mineralized shallow water. By contrast, the earthquake-triggered events did not have significant thermal or geochemical effects. Suspended solids in the dirty waters represent surficial materials (including vegetation debris) and possibly residues from dissolution of carbonate rocks. At Miette Hot Springs the dirt contains secondary sulfur species (native sulfur and gypsum) derived from the HS− content of the spring water.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
pp. 7293-7308
Author(s):  
Z. Chen ◽  
X. Zhou ◽  
J. Du ◽  
C. Xie ◽  
L. Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract. Hydrogeochemistry of 10 hot springs in the Kangding district was investigated by analyzing cation and anion concentrations of the spring waters. The water samples were collected within 5 days after the Lushan earthquake. The spring waters are classified into 7 chemical types based on the hydrochemical compositions. Comparison with the hydrochemical data before the Lushan earthquake, concentrations of Ca2+, HCO3− and TDS of the waters from the Guanding, Erdaoqiao, Gonghe, Erhaoying, Tianwanhe and Caoke springs evidently increased, which resulted from enhancing interaction between deep-earth fluids and carbonate rocks by the increment of dissolved CO2 in the groundwater. Concentrations of Na+, Cl− and SO42− of the waters from the Guanding, zheduotang, Xinxing and Gonghe springs were decreased, indicating dilution of precipitation water. Concentrations of Na+ and SO42− of the Erhaoying spring water increased, which may be attributed to the more supplement of fluids enriched in sulfur. The results indicate that hydrochemical components of spring water can be used as an effective indicator for earthquakes.


1982 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1395-1407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert O. van Everdingen ◽  
M. Asif Shakur ◽  
H. Roy Krouse

δ34S values determined for dissolved sulfate in water discharged by sulfurous springs near Paige Mountain identify gypsum beds in the Lower Devonian Bear Rock Formation as the sulfate source, whereas relatively low δ18O values show that as much as 30% of the sulfate may have gone through a reduction–re-oxidation cycle. Reduced sulfur species in the spring water have negative δ34S values as a result of microbiological isotope fractionation during sulfate reduction; airborne sulfur species (H2S, SO2, H2SO4) and gypsum formed through reaction of H2SO4 fallout with exposed carbonate rocks show similar negative δ34S values. Negative δ18O values for the sulfate radical in H2SO4 fallout and in the alteration product indicate that more than half of the oxygen reacting with airborne H2S is derived from water vapour.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1149-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Chen ◽  
X. Zhou ◽  
J. Du ◽  
C. Xie ◽  
L. Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract. Hydrogeochemistry of 10 hot springs in the Kangding district was investigated by analyzing cation and anion concentrations in the spring water. The water samples were collected in the 5 days after the Lushan MS = 7.0 earthquake, which occurred on 20 April 2013. The spring waters are classified into seven chemical types based on their hydrochemical compositions. Compared with hydrochemical data before the Lushan earthquake, concentrations of Ca2+, HCO3- and total dissolved solid (TDS) in water samples from the Guanding, Erdaoqiao, Gonghe, Erhaoying, Tianwanhe and Caoke springs significantly increased, which may be the result of a greater increase in groundwater from carbonate rocks, and water–carbonate rock interactions, enhanced by the increment of CO2. Concentrations of Na+, Cl- and SO42- in water samples from the Guanding, Zheduotang, Xinxing and Gonghe springs decreased, indicating a dilution of shallow waters. Concentrations of Na+ and SO42- in water samples from the Erhaoying spring water increased, which may be attributed to water–granite interactions enhanced by H2S. The results indicated that hydrochemical components of spring water could be used as an effective indicator for earthquakes.


Resources ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Pablo Hernández-Morales ◽  
Jobst Wurl ◽  
Carlos Green-Ruiz ◽  
Diego Morata

Geo-thermalism has been widely recognized on the Baja California Peninsula, especially during the last decade. The current research, carried out on Bahia Concepcion, evidences the existence of geothermal springs, which get recharged mainly by groundwater and seawater. The groundwater can be characterized as Na+-Cl− and Na+-HCO3− type, with a pH value close to neutrality. The slightly more acidic thermal sites presented temperatures between 32 °C and 59 °C at the surface. Based on the relationships of the Cl− and Br−, as well as the B/Cl−, and Br−/Cl− ratios, seawater was recognized as the main source of salinity. The spatial distribution is explained directly through marine intrusion, or via sprays and aerosols within the rainwater. Seawater ratios in thermal springs varied from 62% to 83%, corresponding mainly to shallow inflow, but seawater inputs into the deep thermal reservoir were also recognized. Temperatures in the geothermal deep reservoir were inferred from 114 to 209 °C, calculated through the SiO2 and Na+-K+ geothermometers. In addition to previously reported thermal sites at Bahía Concepción, and based on their elevated temperatures, two new sites were identified. Another five springs do not fulfill the commonly used definition, based on differential temperature, but show the typical hydrogeochemical signature of thermal water. A new approach to identify this low-temperature geothermal-influenced spring water by its hydrogeochemical composition is presented, for which the term “Masked Geothermal Waters” (MGW) is introduced. Our findings increase the area of the geothermal anomaly and, therefore, the potential of geothermal resources. The approach proposed in this research will also be useful to identify more MGW in other coastal areas.


Author(s):  
Eka Djatnika Nugraha ◽  
Masahiro Hosoda ◽  
June Mellawati ◽  
Untara Untara ◽  
Ilsa Rosianna ◽  
...  

The world community has long used natural hot springs for tourist and medicinal purposes. In Indonesia, the province of West Java, which is naturally surrounded by volcanoes, is the main destination for hot spring tourism. This paper is the first report on radon measurements in tourism natural hot spring water in Indonesia as part of radiation protection for public health. The purpose of this paper is to study the contribution of radon doses from natural hot spring water and thereby facilitate radiation protection for public health. A total of 18 water samples were measured with an electrostatic collection type radon monitor (RAD7, Durridge Co., USA). The concentration of radon in natural hot spring water samples in the West Java region, Indonesia ranges from 0.26 to 31 Bq L−1. An estimate of the annual effective dose in the natural hot spring water area ranges from 0.51 to 0.71 mSv with a mean of 0.60 mSv for workers. Meanwhile, the annual effective dose for the public ranges from 0.10 to 0.14 mSv with an average of 0.12 mSv. This value is within the range of the average committed effective dose from inhalation and terrestrial radiation for the general public, 1.7 mSv annually.


2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 266-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry O Wolff ◽  
Toni Van Horn

Animal behavior is often optimized as a trade-off between survival and reproduction. During the breeding season, mammals tend to maximize their reproductive effort within the constraints of predation pressure. When predation pressure is reduced, greater effort can be allocated to reproductive behavior and less to vigilance and predator avoidance. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that elk, Cervus elaphus, in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), with predators, would spend more time in vigilance and risk-avoidance behavior than would elk in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), a predator-free environment. We further predicted that elk at Mammoth Hot Springs (MAM) in YNP would behave similarly to those at RMNP because predators were absent in that area of the park. Cow elk in YNP spent more time in vigilance and less in foraging during activity periods than did cows in RMNP or MAM. Also, elk in YNP retreated to forest cover during the midday inactive period, whereas elk in RMNP and MAM remained in open habitat. Vigilance was not correlated with group size at either site. Cows with calves spent more time in vigilance and less in foraging than did cows without calves in RMNP and YNP. Bull elk spent most of their time in courtship at all sites, but foraged more at RMNP than in YNP or MAM. Mean harem sizes were similar among the three sites: 17.0 in RMNP, 15.7 in YNP, and 19.0 in MAM. The proportion of cows with calves was significantly lower in the area with predators, YNP (0.10), than in the predator-free areas (0.24 in RMNP and 0.37 in MAM), probably because of greater calf mortality in YNP. Elk in YNP behaved in accordance with a predation risk, whereas those in RMNP and MAM showed less vigilance behavior.


Author(s):  
Sutthipong Taweelarp ◽  
Supanut Suntikoon ◽  
Thaned Rojsiraphisal ◽  
Nattapol Ploymaklam ◽  
Schradh Saenton

Scaling in a geothermal piping system can cause serious problems by reducing flow rates and energy efficiency. In this work, scaling potential of San Kamphaeng (SK) geothermal energy, Northern Thailand was assessed based on geochemical model simulation using physical and chemical properties of hot spring water. Water samples from surface seepage and groundwater wells, analyzed by ICP-OES and ion chromatograph methods for chemical constituents, were dominated by Ca-HCO3 facies having partial pressure of carbon dioxide of 10–2.67 to 10–1.75 atm which is higher than ambient atmospheric CO2 content. Surface seepage samples have lower temperature (60.9°C) than deep groundwater (83.1°C) and reservoir (127.1°C, based on silica geothermometry). Geochemical characteristics of the hot spring water indicated significant difference in chemical properties between surface seepage and deep, hot groundwater as a result of mineral precipitation along the flow paths and inside well casing. Scales were mainly composed of carbonates, silica, Fe-Mn oxides. Geochemical simulations based on multiple chemical reaction equilibria in PHREEQC were performed to confirm scale formation from cooling and CO2-degassing processes. Simulation results showed total cumulative scaling potential (maximum possible precipitation) from 267-m deep well was estimated as 582.2 mg/L, but only 50.4% of scaling potential actually took place at SK hot springs. In addition, maximum possible carbon dioxide outflux to atmosphere from degassing process in SK geothermal field, estimated from the degassing process, was 6,960 ton/year indicating a continuous source of greenhouse gas that may contribute to climate change. Keywords: Degassing, Geochemical modeling, PHREEQC, San Kamphaeng Hot Springs, Scaling


Geofluids ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuqi Zhang ◽  
Xun Zhou ◽  
Haisheng Liu ◽  
Mingxiao Yu ◽  
Kuo Hai ◽  
...  

In the Simao Basin in southwest China widely occur red beds of poor permeability. Nevertheless, more than 100 springs exist in the basin, some of which are hot springs with varying temperature. Hot springs contain abundant information on hydrogeochemical processes and groundwater circulation. In this study, hydrochemical and isotopic analyses and mixed models are used to examine the sources of recharge, heat, and solutes of the hot springs to better understand the subsurface processes and formation mechanisms of different hot springs in the basin. Three types of springs are found in the Simao Basin: springs of HCO3-Na type occur in the metamorphic rocks, springs of HCO3-Ca(Mg) and Cl-HCO3-Na-Ca types in the carbonate rocks, and springs of Cl(SO4)-SO4(Cl)-HCO3-Na(Ca) type in the red beds. Data of δ2H and δ18O indicate that the hot springs in the Simao Basin are meteoric in origin. Incongruent dissolution is the dominant process affecting the chemical compositions of the spring waters. The hydrochemical constituents of the hot springs in the metamorphic rocks, carbonate rocks, and red beds are influenced by the weathering of albite and the dissolution of carbonate, gypsum, anhydrite, and halite. The geothermal waters are mixed with shallow cold waters in their ascending processes, and the mixing ratios of cold water range from 58% to 94%. Due to the effect of mixing, the reservoir temperatures (51°C-127°C) calculated with the quartz geothermometer are regarded as the minimum reservoir temperatures. More reliable reservoir temperatures (91°C-132°C) are estimated with the fixed-Al method. The following mechanisms contribute to the formation of hot springs in the Simao Basin: the groundwater receives recharge from infiltration of precipitation and undergoes deep circulation, during which groundwater is heated by heat flow and incongruently dissolves the subsurface minerals and emerges in the form of hot springs along the permeable fracture or fault zones.


1982 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 755-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. L. Lam ◽  
F. W. Jones ◽  
C. Lambert

Temperature data from petroleum exploration well logs of 3360 wells in a region of west-central Alberta are used to estimate thermal gradients. A relatively high geothermal gradient (~36 °C/km) of oblong shape located near Hinton is observed. The axis of the anomaly strikes approximately southwest–northeast and passes through the Miette Hot Springs area. It appears that water is heated at depth in the Rocky Mountain disturbed region and travels eastward and toward the surface along fault planes.


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