Wasatch Warm Springs. Over 100 hot springs adorn Utah. In fact, a wonderful hot spring, named Wasatch Warm Springs, is within walking distance of downtown Salt Lake City.
Wasatch Warm Springs is the southernmost hot spring, in a series of four, located along three miles (5 km) of the Warm Springs fault zone. From north to south, the individual hot springs are Becks, Hobo, Clark, and Wasatch. Collectively this area is known as the Warm Springs fault geothermal area.
The City of Salt Lake has restored Wasatch Warm Springs and its accompanying wetlands, and in the process added a new northern section of Warm Springs Park. Informational placards describing the history, ecology, and geology of the springs have been added.
The springs are viewable year round and are especially intriguing on a cold, snowy winter day. While stopping to view the springs is well worthwhile, bathing is no longer permitted.
Where does the water come from and how does it get hot? The ultimate source of the water is snow and rain falling on the Wasatch Range. Much of this water travels to the valley in streams, gets used by plants, or evaporates.
The remainder percolates into the ground. This ground water slowly migrates downward and basinward through steeply inclined bedrock with a network of fractures and faults.
Heat originating from within the earth's interior warms the descending ground water and surrounding rock. From deep beneath the surface, the heated water travels back up through a conduit provided by the Warm Springs fault. The water rises so quickly, it does not have time to cool.
How hot is the water and how deep does it circulate? Water temperature of Wasatch Warm Springs fluctuates seasonally between 100 and 108 F (38/ 42 C). In part, the temperature depends upon how deep the water circulates and the rate at which the temperature of the earth's crust increases with depth (called thermal gradient).
Assuming a thermal gradient of 93 F per mile of depth (32 C per km) and an average annual outside temperature (in the Wasatch Range) of 40 F (4.5 C), the water must reach a depth of approximately 3/4 mile (1.2 km) to obtain the maximum temperature of 108 F (42 C).
Wasatch Warm SpringsHowever, upon ascending to the surface the hot water may be cooled by mixing with water near the surface and the surrounding rock. Therefore, the water must circulate through depths greater than this simple calculation suggests. The near-surface mixing probably accounts for seasonal temperature fluctuations.
How do I get there? The new northern portion of Warm Springs Park (location of the springs) is immediately north of the Children's Museum of Utah. .
PARK HOURS are 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.
The street address is 900 North 300 West. Take I-15 to the 600 North exit, turn east on 600 North, then turn north on 300 West. Travel 3 blocks to 900 North. Park in the lot on the north side of the former Children's Museum, which is on the right (east) side of 300 West.
If walking or bicycling from downtown Salt Lake City, head north on 200 West. Where 200 West ends at Wall Street continue north through the old southern portion of Warm Springs Park.
All above information was taken from the Utah Geological Survey. Article by Mark Milligan
To log this cache:
Notice: Sometime in Dec of 2011 the markers went missing. I hope they were just removed by the Salt Lake Parks Division, but I am afraid that do to their value they were stolen. Until I can get verification or they are replaced, I have tagged the logging requirements with a RED * that need only to have you take a picture of the area where the markers were, including you, and post it or email it to me with your answers.
UPDATE 03.10.14: The Utah Arts Counsel returned my call an informed me that indeed markers located in the park were stolen. They do plan to recast and re-install all of the markers this year or the next. Please continue to post a pic of you and your GPS at the location of the markers until the have been replaced.
UPDATE 06.03.19: As there is no current plan to replace the markers I am updating the logging requirements to meet the current status of the area.
Send an email within 48 hours of your find log to me with the first line reading GC28QAH Wasatch Warm Springs. In the email answer the following questions:
1. At the posted coordinates you are able to view how many locations where markers would be placed?*
2. Now on to the science. Just East of the markers is the perfect viewing location of the Warm Springs (N 40 47.447' W 111 54.036'). Walk there and observe the area. Touch the water (trust me the water here won't burn you). Now in the email describe the area, what you see, smell and how the water feels. How warm do you think the water is (in degrees)? What creatures do you see in the water? Form a hypothesis on how they can survive in this water (don't worry I will not delete a log based on your hypothesis).
Post A PIC WITH YOUR LOG
As of June 10th, 2019 GC HQ updated the requirements for logging an EarthCache to allow the CO to request the visitor to "…provide a photo of themselves or a personal item to prove they visited the site. A personal item must be an option for those who do not want to photograph themselves. This task is acceptable only as an addition to well-developed logging tasks, not as a substitution."
So as of 06/10/19 "all" logs MUST have a pic attached with either the cacher (or group of cachers) prominently in it OR a personal item (GPS/printed icon/etc.) I will not accept cell phones as a personal item because 1) you more than likely would be using it for the pic 2) Cell phone, in my opinion, is too generic for a "personal item."If you post a group pic you MUST list the cachers names in you log.
SO to be compliant with this logging requirement please take your pic at the location of the missing markers and post along with your log.
Faliure to follow this or any part of the logging tasks will result in disqualification and your log will be "deleted!"
EXTRA CREDIT: Somewhere in the park is a marker with a quote from a traveler who passed through this area sometime ago. Name the traveler and the date listed on the marker.
BONUS: Post a pic of you and your group at your favorite location in the park to share with future Cacher's.
I will only respond if you have incomplete logging requirements. Go ahead and log your cache.
ANY LOGS POSTED WITH THE ANSWERS ON THIS PAGE WILL BE DELETED!
Now enjoy the area!
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Permission to place this EarthCache was granted by Salt Lake Parks and Recreation Department on May 20, 2010
Special THANKS to Cathy Rollman for making this cache possible.
