Spring ( hydrology ) - wikipedia Spring ( hydrology ) On an average day nearly 303 million US gallons ( 1,150,000 m ) of water flow from Big Spring in Missouri at a rate of 469 cubic feet per second ( 13.3 m / s ). A spring is any natural situation where water flows from an aquifer to the Earth 's surface. It is a component of the hydrosphere. Contents 1 Formation 1.1 Types 2 Flow 2.1 Classification 3 Water content 4 Uses 4.1 Sacred springs 5 Notable springs 6 See also 7 References 7.1 Citations 7.2 Further reading 8 External links Formation A natural spring on Mackinac Island in Michigan A spring may be the result of karst topography where surface water has infiltrated the Earth 's surface ( recharge area ), becoming part of the area groundwater. The groundwater then travels through a network of cracks and fissure -- openings ranging from intergranular spaces to large caves. The water eventually emerges from below the surface, in the form of a karst spring. The forcing of the spring to the surface can be the result of a confined aquifer in which the recharge area of the spring water table rests at a higher elevation than that of the outlet. Spring water forced to the surface by elevated sources are artesian wells. This is possible even if the outlet is in the form of a 300 - foot - deep ( 91 m ) cave. In this case the cave is used like a hose by the higher elevated recharge area of groundwater to exit through the lower elevation opening. Non-artesian springs may simply flow from a higher elevation through the earth to a lower elevation and exit in the form of a spring, using the ground like a drainage pipe. Still other springs are the result of pressure from an underground source in the earth, in the form of volcanic activity. The result can be water at elevated temperature such as a hot spring. Sunrise at Middle Spring, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Utah The action of the groundwater continually dissolves permeable bedrock such as limestone and dolomite, creating vast cave systems. Types Seepage or filtration spring. The term seep refers to springs with small flow rates in which the source water has filtered through permeable earth. Fracture springs, discharge from faults, joints, or fissures in the earth, in which springs have followed a natural course of voids or weaknesses in the bedrock. Tubular springs, in which the water flows from underground caverns. Flow Spring discharge, or resurgence, is determined by the spring 's recharge basin. Factors that affect the recharge include the size of the area in which groundwater is captured, the amount of precipitation, the size of capture points, and the size of the spring outlet. Water may leak into the underground system from many sources including permeable earth, sinkholes, and losing streams. In some cases entire creeks seemingly disappear as the water sinks into the ground via the stream bed. Grand Gulf State Park in Missouri is an example of an entire creek vanishing into the groundwater system. The water emerges 9 miles ( 14 km ) away, forming some of the discharge of Mammoth Spring in Arkansas. Human activity may also affect a spring 's discharge -- withdrawal of groundwater reduces the water pressure in an aquifer, decreasing the volume of flow. Classification Fontaine de Vaucluse or Spring of Vaucluse in France discharges about 470 million US gallons ( 1,800,000 m ) of water per day at a rate of 727 cubic feet ( 21 m ) per second. Springs are often classified by the volume of the water they discharge. The largest springs are called `` first - magnitude '', defined as springs that discharge water at a rate of at least 2800 liters or 100 cubic feet ( 2.8 m ) of water per second. Some locations contain many first - magnitude springs, such as Florida where there are at least 27 known to be that size ; the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks, which contain 10 known of first - magnitude ; and 11 more in the Thousand Springs area along the Snake River in Idaho. The scale for spring flow is as follows : Magnitude Flow ( ft3 / s, gal / min, pint / min ) Flow ( L / s ) 1st magnitude > 100 ft3 / s 2800 L / s 2nd magnitude 10 to 100 ft3 / s 280 to 2800 L / s 3rd magnitude 1 to 10 ft3 / s 28 to 280 L / s 4th magnitude 100 US gal / min to 1 ft3 / s ( 448 US gal / min ) 6.3 to 28 L / s 5th magnitude 10 to 100 gal / min 0.63 to 6.3 L / s 6th magnitude 1 to 10 gal / min 63 to 630 mL / s 7th magnitude 2 pint to 1 gal / min 8 to 63 mL / s 8th magnitude Less than 1 pint / min 8 mL / s 0 magnitude no flow ( sites of past / historic flow ) Water content Main article : Mineral spring Pruess Lake is spring - fed in the arid Snake Valley of Utah. Minerals become dissolved in the water as it moves through the underground rocks. This may give the water flavor and even carbon dioxide bubbles, depending on the nature of the geology through which it passes. This is why spring water is often bottled and sold as mineral water, although the term is often the subject of deceptive advertising. Springs that contain significant amounts of minerals are sometimes called ' mineral springs '. ( Springs without such mineral content, meanwhile, are sometimes distinguished as ' sweet springs '. ) Springs that contain large amounts of dissolved sodium salts, mostly sodium carbonate, are called ' soda springs '. Many resorts have developed around mineral springs and are known as spa towns. Water from springs is usually clear. However some springs may be colored by the minerals that are dissolved in the water. For instance, water heavy with iron or tannins will have an orange color. In parts of the United States a stream carrying the outflow of a spring to a nearby primary stream may be called a spring branch or run. Groundwater tends to maintain a relatively long - term average temperature of its aquifer ; so flow from a spring may be cooler than a summer day, but remain unfrozen in the winter. The cool water of a spring and its branch may harbor species such as certain trout that are otherwise ill - suited to a warmer local climate. Uses Trout fishing on Maramec Spring in Missouri This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( October 2010 ) Springs have been used for a variety of human needs including drinking water, domestic water supply, irrigation, mills, navigation, and electricity generation. Other modern uses include recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, and floating ; therapy ; water for livestock ; fish hatcheries ; and supply for bottled mineral water. Sacred Springs This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2018 ) Main article : Holy well A sacred spring, or holy well, is a small body of water emerging from underground and revered either in a Christian, pagan or other religious context, sometimes both. The lore and mythology of ancient Greece was replete with sacred and storied springs -- notably, the Corycian, Pierian and Castalian. In medieval Europe, holy wells were frequently pagan sacred sites that later became Christianized. The term `` holy well '' is commonly employed to refer to any water source of limited size ( i.e. not a lake or river, but including pools and natural springs and seeps ), which has some significance in local folklore. This can take the form of a particular name, an associated legend, the attribution of healing qualities to the water through the numinous presence of its guardian spirit or Christian saint, or a ceremony or ritual centred on the well site. In Christian legend, the spring water is often said to have been made to flow by the action of a saint, a familiar theme especially in the hagiography of Celtic saints. Notable Springs Asia : Baotu Spring, Jinan, Shandong, China ( `` City of Springs '' ) Gihon Spring, Jerusalem Wolmyeongdong Spring, South Korea Al - Hasa Springs, Saudi Arabia Europe : Aachtopf, Germany Castalian Spring, Delphi, Greece Fontaine de Vaucluse, France Pierian Spring, Pieria, Greece Sachsenbrunnen, Bad Harzburg, Germany Spring of Juturna, Roman Forum, Rome, Italy 20 - Pipe Well, Altleiningen, Germany Farmakas, Troodos Mountains, Cyprus North America : Bagby Hot Springs, Oregon Berkeley Springs, West Virginia Bennett Spring, Missouri Big Spring, Missouri Big Springs, Idaho Blue Spring, Florida Comal Springs, Texas Giant Springs, Montana Greer Spring, Missouri Mammoth Spring, Arkansas Maramec Spring, Missouri Montezuma Well, Arizona Niagara Springs, Idaho Poland Spring, Maine Kitch - iti - kipi, Michigan Little Salt Spring, Florida Rainbow Springs, Florida San Marcos Springs, Texas Saratoga Springs, New York Silver Springs, Florida Wakulla Springs, Florida Warm Springs, Georgia Wekiwa Springs, Florida Ojo Caliente, New Mexico Oceania : Te Waikoropupu Springs, New Zealand South America : São Lourenço, Minas Gerais, Brazil See also Body of water Chalk stream Cienega Drinking water Fountain Geyser Holy well Hot spring Intermittent spring Karst spring Lake List of Ozark springs List of spa towns List of springs in Florida Mineral water Petroleum seep Pond Soakage Spa towns Spring supply Source ( river or stream ) Thousand Springs State Park Water cycle Water well Water portal References Citations ^ Jump up to : `` Springs - The Water Cycle, from USGS Water - Science School ''. ga.water.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 9 May 2009. Jump up ^ `` USGS Surface - Water Data for Missouri ''. waterdata.usgs.gov. Jump up ^ Vineyard and Fender, 1982. p. 12 Jump up ^ `` USGS Surface - Water Data for Missouri ''. waterdata.usgs.gov. Jump up ^ http://www.if.uidaho.edu/~johnson/ifiwrri/1000spgs.html Further reading LaMoreaux, Philip E. ; Tanner, Judy T, eds. ( 2001 ), Springs and bottled water of the world : Ancient history, source, occurrence, quality and use, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York : Springer - Verlag, ISBN 3 - 540 - 61841 - 4, retrieved 13 July 2010 Springs of Missouri, Vineyard and Feder, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey in cooperation with U.S. Geological Survey and Missouri Department of Conservation, 1982 Cohen, Stan ( Revised 1981 edition ), Springs of the Virginias : A Pictorial History, Charleston, West Virginia : Quarrier Press. External links Media related to Springs at Wikimedia Commons `` The Science of Springs '' `` What Is a Spring ? '' The Water Cycle : Springs USGS Find a spring Rivers, streams and springs Rivers Alluvial river Braided river Blackwater river Channel Channel pattern Channel types Confluence Distributary Drainage basin Subterranean river River bifurcation River ecosystem River source Tributary more... Streams Arroyo Bourne Burn Chalk stream Coulee Current Stream Stream bed Stream channel Stream gradient Stream pool Perennial stream Winterbourne more... Springs Geyser Sacred spring Hot spring Karst spring Mineral spring Rhythmic spring Spring Spring horizon more... Sedimentary processes and erosion Abrasion Anabranch Aggradation Armor Bed load Bed material load Granular flow Debris flow Deposition Dissolved load Downcutting Erosion Headward erosion Knickpoint Palaeochannel Progradation Retrogradation Saltation Secondary flow Sediment transport Suspended load Wash load Water gap Fluvial landforms Ait Alluvial fan Antecedent drainage stream Avulsion Bank Bar Bayou Billabong Canyon Chine Cut bank Estuary Fluvial terrace Gill Gulch Gully Glen Meander scar Mouth bar Oxbow lake Riffle - pool sequence Point bar Ravine Rill River island Rock - cut basin Sedimentary basin Sedimentary structures Strath Thalweg River valley Wadi Fluvial flow Helicoidal flow International Scale of River Difficulty Meander Plunge pool Rapids Riffle Shoal Waterfall Whitewater Surface runoff Agricultural wastewater treatment Effluent First flush Urban runoff Wastewater Floods and stormwater 100 - year flood Crevasse splay Flash flood Flood Flood barrier Flood control Flood forecasting Flood - meadow Floodplain Flood pulse concept Flooded grasslands and savannas Storm Water Management Model Return period River measurement and modelling Baer 's law Baseflow Bradshaw model Discharge ( hydrology ) Drainage density Exner equation Groundwater model Hack 's law Hjulström curve Hydrograph Hydrological modelling Hydrological transport model Infiltration ( hydrology ) Main stem Playfair 's Law Relief ratio River continuum concept Rouse number Runoff curve number Runoff model ( reservoir ) Stream gauge Universal Soil Loss Equation WAFLEX Wetted perimeter Volumetric flow rate River engineering Aqueduct Balancing lake Canal Check dam Dam Drop structure Daylighting Detention basin Erosion control Fish ladder Floodplain restoration Flume Infiltration basin Leat Levee Retention basin Revetment Riparian zone restoration Stream restoration Weir River sports Canyoning Rafting River surfing Riverboarding Whitewater canoeing Whitewater kayaking Whitewater slalom Other topics Aquifer Aquatic toxicology Body of water Limnology Riparian zone River civilization River cruise Surface water World Rivers Day Lists of rivers Rivers by continent Rivers by length Rivers by discharge rate Drainage basins Whitewater rivers Flash floods River name etymologies GND : 4176696 - 9 NDL : 01167992 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spring_(hydrology)&oldid=828547401 '' Categories : Springs ( hydrology ) Drinking water Freshwater ecology Geomorphology Hydrology Subterranean rivers Bodies of water Hidden categories : Articles to be expanded from October 2010 All articles to be expanded Articles using small message boxes Articles needing additional references from February 2018 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016 Pages using div col with deprecated parameters Use dmy dates from October 2010 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Alemannisch Ænglisc Aragonés Azərbaycanca Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Brezhoneg Català Чӑвашла Čeština ChiShona Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ქართული Қазақша Kreyòl ayisyen Kurdî Кыргызча Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Limburgs Lingála Magyar Македонски മലയാളം Bahasa Melayu Mìng - dĕ̤ng - ngṳ̄ Монгол Nederlands Nedersaksies 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Олык марий Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча پښتو Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Саха тыла Scots Sicilianu Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina کوردی Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் ไทย Тоҷикӣ Türkçe Українська Vèneto Tiếng Việt Võro Winaray ייִדיש 粵語 Zazaki Žemaitėška 中文 78 more Edit links This page was last edited on 3 March 2018, at 06 : 58. 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Question: where does spring water found in mountains come from
Answer: an aquifer