Modern uses include recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, and floating; therapy; water for livestock; fish hatcheries; and supply for bottled mineral water or bottled spring water. 54. This is how rivers start. A spring tide is a common historical term that has nothing to do with the season of spring. For instance, water heavy with iron or tannins will have an orange color.[1]. The water eventually emerges from below the surface, in the form of a karst spring. Names that mean water include names that mean ocean and sea, waves and tide, and rain and mist. In Greek mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by Perseus. 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. Many resorts have developed around mineral springs and are known as spa towns. Water—as the source of life in many myths, as that which is an absolute necessity for existence, and as that which cleanses—is the most all-encompassing means of restoring health. In some religious contexts, springs have been considered sacred by Pagans, Christians, and other religions. It is best to search out a water test or purchase one yourself before making a habit of drinking regularly from any spring. A sacred spring, or holy well, is a small body of water emerging from underground and revered either some religious context: Christian and/or pagan and/or other. The term "holy well" is commonly employed[by whom?] 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. Our spring water is then passed through multiple stages of filtration to remove particles and other unwanted elements. This depends on the water getting into the ground all of the time or only once in a while (snow melting). Despite tap water being considered drinkable by the EPA, it can lead to numerous problems. A spring is a point at which water flows from an aquifer to the Earth's surface. Springs can be used as a source of water for domestic use, electricity generation, fish hatcheries, irrigation, swimming, recreational activities, and navigation. Springs are often used as sources for bottled water. To the north are the hot springs of Banyas de Sant Loan. Spring water naturally flows to the surface, but well water is piped to the surface from an aquifer, water trapped in layers of rock and dirt. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/science/spring-water, USGS Water Science School - Springs and the Water Cycle, spring - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). (intransitive) To burst forth, particularly 1.1. In order to know how to use a spring appropriately, whether for a mineral bath or drinking water you must perform a comprehensive water quality test. What does spring mean? 2966–7: 1.1.1.1. For example, sacred springs like Pierian, Corycian, and Castalian were common in Ancient Gre… Most of the springs whose individual discharges exceed 3 cubic metres per second (100 cubic feet per second) originate from limestone and basalt aquifers. From the Greek Πήγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from πηγός (pegos) meaning "strong" or πηγαῖος (pegaios) meaning "from a water spring". From the Greek Πήγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from πηγός (pegos) meaning "strong" or πηγαῖος (pegaios) meaning "from a water spring". spring (third-person singular simple present springs, present participle springing, simple past sprang or sprung, past participle sprung) 1. As…. [1], Spring discharge, or resurgence, is determined by the spring's recharge basin. spring water - underground water that is held in the soil and in pervious rocks ground water , well water H2O , water - binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 … ‘This spring water was used in the font in the church to christen babies.’ ‘Watercress is grown in gravel beds through which thousands of gallons of fresh spring water is passed.’ ‘At the distillery, the barley is milled to produce grist, to which heated spring water is added.’ The names of gods and goddesses of the sea can be counted as water names, as can the names of mythical mermaids and other water creatures. A spring is a point at which water flows from an aquifer to the Earth's surface. In medieval Europe, pagan sacred sites frequently became Christianized as holy wells. Spring water has a noticeably crisper flavor than purified or mineral waters because nothing has been added to it — but not all spring bottled water is the same. Spring, in hydrology, opening at or near the surface of the Earth for the discharge of water from underground sources. Updates? 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 of a Christian saint, or a ceremony or ritual centred on the well site. 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. In some cases entire creeks seemingly disappear as the water sinks into the ground via the stream bed. Unlike many forms of bottled water that are filtered and treated to remove impurities, water from a natural spring is considered to contain a beneficial level of minerals and is normally bottled directly at the source. So you have plenty of options in your kitty. The names of notable rivers, such as Hudson and Jordan, and other bodies of water are listed here. As in the spa-therapy (bathing in mineral waters) of contemporary…, …the healing power of natural springs is long-standing and widespread. When purchasing bottled water labelled as spring water you can often find the water test for that spring on the website of the company selling it. Like any source of water, springs are used for various reasons. Water that emerges at the surface without a perceptible current is called a seep. Thermal springs occur in volcanic regions and in areas where rock layers have been broken and folded in geologically recent time. An example of spring is the water outlet that forms a pond. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). A spring is a place where water comes up through the ground. Just because a spring is bottled and sold as spring water does not mean that it is contaminant free. This is called an artesian well. The result can be water at elevated temperature such as a hot spring. In limestone regions, rainwater sinks through holes or other openings and is drained chiefly through underground passages. The scale for spring flow is as follows: 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. I'll bet that if you look at a bottle of water, it claims to be 'natural spring' water. Spring means a source of water from the ground, particularly a very small pond. Another popular variation of Talise is Tallis. However some springs may be colored by the minerals that are dissolved in the water. Springs definition, a city in S Transvaal, in the E Republic of South Africa, E of Johannesburg. A spring may flow the whole year or only sometimes. This is why spring water is often bottled and sold as mineral water, although the term is often the subject of deceptive advertising. There is also a risk of lead in tap water due to lead being present in the pipes that bring tap water to your home. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. See more. It is a component of the hydrosphere. Omissions? to refer to any water source of limited size (i.e. Springs that are managed as spas will already have such a test. The water emerges 9 miles (14 km) away, forming some of the discharge of Mammoth Spring in Arkansas. The rapid development of new wells through over-drilling, however, has tended to reduce head pressures in many artesian systems. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. After the brine has been washed away, limestone and sandstone rocks usually yield good-quality, though hard, freshwater. The meaning of Talise is ‘lovely water’. Rather, the term is derived from the concept of the tide "springing forth." Soaking in them is said to result in the absorption of the minerals from the water. This is possible even if the outlet is in the form of a 300-foot-deep (91 m) cave. Springs can occur when hydrologic, geologic or human forces cut into underground layers of soil and rock where water is in movement. 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. Springs have been used for a variety of human needs - including drinking water, domestic water supply, irrigation, mills, navigation, and electricity generation. In Greek mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by Perseus. Spring water is a type of bottled water that comes from under the ground and flows naturally to the earth's surface. Human activity may also affect a spring's discharge—withdrawal of groundwater reduces the water pressure in an aquifer, decreasing the volume of flow.[6]. (of liquids) To gush, to flow suddenly and violently.quotations ▼ 1.1.1. Mineral water contains no less than 250 parts per million (ppm) of tds. Hot spring definition, a thermal spring having water warmer than 98°F (37°C): the water is usually heated by emanation from or passage near hot or molten rock. The aquifers that receive and discharge the largest quantities of groundwater are unconsolidated materials such as sand and gravel. Point at which water emerges from an aquifer to the surface, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Springs - The Water Cycle, from USGS Water-Science School", "https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/OpenNonWebContent.aspx?content=26985.wba", "Heads Above Water: The Inside Story of the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program by Robert L. Gulley", https://www.britannica.com/science/spring-water, Stunning turquoise natural spring Kiikunlähde at Hollola, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spring_(hydrology)&oldid=999914972, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles to be expanded from October 2010, Articles needing additional references from February 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from April 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Depression spring, is a spring which occurs along a depression, such as the bottom of, Contact Spring, which occurs along the side of a hill or mountain is created when the. Areas where rock layers, such as Hudson and Jordan, and other underground spring meaning water. 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