Book 12, Question 76
Why Do Hot Springs Bubble Up in Banff and Yukon?
Hot springs bubble up in Banff and the Yukon, even though there are no active volcanoes nearby! Rain and melted snow soak deep into the ground, where the rock is warmer. The heated water then rises back to the surface through cracks called faults.
More fun facts
- Hot springs form when rain or snowmelt seeps deep into the ground, gets heated and rises back up.
- At Yellowstone, spring water seeps through bedrock and becomes superheated deep underground.
- An open path lets the hot water rise to the surface without blocking.
- Moving currents keep the water circulating, so a hot spring does not erupt like a geyser.
- Three railway workers found a natural hot spring that led to the town of Banff.
- Banff, Canada's first national park, was founded in 1885.
Sources: National Geographic, National Park Service, National Geographic
Questions kids ask
Why don't hot springs erupt like geysers?
Their open plumbing lets water circulate and rise freely, so pressure does not build up.