Mapping the Geothermal Pulse of US Hot Springs

This project provides a comprehensive visualization of hot springs across the United States, overlaid upon a map illustrating the subterranean heat ascending toward the surface.

The map utilizes a warm color palette to highlight regions where deep-earth thermal energy reaches the surface most rapidly—areas where hot springs are most densely concentrated.

📊 Project Overview & Statistics

Curated and maintained by Armen Suny

The dataset encompasses a total of 1,723 springs. Below is the breakdown of the thermal data:

🔍 Spring Classification & Filters

Users can filter the map based on several criteria:

Temperature Profiles

• Soakable (95–110°F): 212 springs
• Warm: 698 springs
• Too Hot: 612 springs
• Unknown: 201 springs

Accessibility

• Roadside: 683
• Short walk: 769
• Hike: 151
• Backcountry: 120

Additional Attributes

• Open to the public: 713
• Camping available nearby: 1,172
• Located on hot ground: 851
• Includes photographs: 679

Note: Springs located in Hawaii and Alaska are displayed on the map, though they lack specific heat flow values.

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🌋 The Science: Why the West is Hotter

Heat flow is defined as the amount of thermal energy migrating from the earth's interior to the surface, measured in $\text{milliwatts per square meter (mW/m}^2)$.

The concentration of springs in the Western US is due to the geological nature of the crust. In these regions, the crust has been fractured by faults and stretched thin, bringing scorching rock closer to the surface.

While many springs follow this pattern, others—such as those found in Warm Springs, Virginia and Hot Springs, Arkansas—are the result of water circulating to extreme depths before returning to the surface.

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🏆 Thermal Rankings

I. The Hottest Ground (Highest Heat Flow)

Data sourced from the Stanford Thermal Earth Model.

II. The Hottest Water (Highest Temperature)

Note: Many of these are boiling pools or geysers and are not suitable for soaking.

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🗺️ State-by-State Analysis

The following table lists the median heat flow and the total number of springs identified per state.

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🛰️ Orbital Perspectives: Landsat Thermal Imaging

Using a thermal camera from an altitude of approximately 440 miles, Landsat can detect ground temperatures from space. During clear winter days, geothermal hotspots appear as glowing beacons against the frozen landscape.

{
  "sensor": "Landsat Thermal Camera",
  "altitude": "440 miles",
  "primary_detection": "Surface Temperature",
  "optimal_viewing": "Winter / Clear Skies"
}

Case Studies in Thermal Imaging

1. Midway Geyser Basin, Wyoming $\rightarrow$ Home to the Grand Prismatic Spring. The thermal image reveals the Firehole River as a bright vein, kept liquid by hot runoff despite the winter cold. (Photo: Michael Gäbler, CC BY 3.0)

2. Imperial and Spray Geysers, Wyoming $\rightarrow$ Located in the Lower Geyser Basin, these two distinct hotspots are visible even through the surrounding forest. (Photo: Yellowstone National Park, public domain)

3. Norris Geyser Basin, Wyoming $\rightarrow$ The most thermally intense area in Yellowstone; the entire basin glows vividly through the snow. (Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0)

4. Hot Creek Gorge Springs, California $\rightarrow$ Boiling springs erupting directly from the creek bed.