Lecture: Is the Water Still Hot? - The Origin of the Bath Hot Springs
Speaker:
Entry Fee
Members: Free
Visitors: £5.00
Date and Time
19:30 -
Location
Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HN
Lecture Description
Several models have been proposed for the origin of the Bath Hot Springs, but the one that best fits the evidence of the water’s chemistry and the general geology of the area is that the spring water derives from rainfall on the Mendip Hills, ca. 20 km south of Bath. Alternative views include a northerly source, originally proposed by William Smith, or water circulation within deep-seated “fracture-zones”.
Without clear knowledge of the water’s origin it is difficult to ensure the spring’s protection from effects such as water abstraction from deep quarries, should these be sited in strata that are hydraulically connected to the spring. The hydrochemical, geological and geophysical evidence will be reviewed and some of the different hypotheses tested by means of a simple groundwater model.
The conclusion of the modelling study is that it is highly unlikely that much of the spring’s flow derives from the north, and that most probably comes from the Carboniferous Limestone outcrops of the Mendip Hills having passed beneath the North Somerset Coalfield at depths of greater than 2.5 km.
The Bath Hot Springs and the group of cooler thermal springs at Hotwells, Bristol, are best understood as outlets for thermal water formed where the rim of the Bath-Bristol basin has been cut or brought close to the surface by the cutting of the Avon valley. The implications for protection of the Hot Springs and the aspects that require further research will be discussed.
Attending via Zoom
This is a hybrid meeting: you can attend in person or join online via Zoom.
Bath Geological Society Members: Free of charge. Joining instructions and the Zoom link are sent to members by email prior to the lecture.
Visitors & Non-Members: (including members of the Geologists' Association and affiliated societies) Please book via Eventbrite to receive Zoom access (see the Entry Fee details above).
How to join: Click the Zoom link provided in your email or Eventbrite confirmation. You can join using the Zoom desktop or mobile app, or directly via your web browser without installing any software. The virtual waiting room opens approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled start time, and attendees will be admitted before the talk commences.
For any queries about joining online, please contact [email protected].