DOI: 10.5176/2251-3353_GEOS14.37
Authors: Hassan Mohamed Baioumy, Mohd Nawawi, Karl Wagner and Mohd Hariri Arifin
Abstract: Although more than sixty hot spring areas have been discovered in the Malaysian Peninsula, origin and source of hot water in these hot springs are still questionable since most of these studies focused on the water quality and temperature of these springs. Therefore, this study tries to discuss the origin of these hot springs by considering their geological settings. The location and geological settings of these hot springs indicate the geographical course of these hot spring areas towards two trends. The West-East trend continues from Langkawi in the West to Kelantan and then toward one site in Terengganu to the East. The North- South trend continues from the Thai-Kedah border in the North to two springs in Singapore in the extreme South. The significant common features of these hot springs pearl rope phenomena are their location on or close to granite intrusions and at major fault zones. The recent remote sensing map of some of these hot springs shows their location also on small fractures and/or faults. These observations are suggestive for a model that combines the cooling magma and the thermal gradient models. The granitic intrusion represents the cooling magma that can increase the temperature of all rocks in the area. These granites bodies have also become embedded in the earth crust continuing to disperse heat after solidification as a result of the thermal gradient. The source of water derives either from the surface water which enters the underground passages and circulates to great depths and attains the high temperature or it stems from the “old” water in the aquifers. The hot, "lighter," water begins to rise again toward the ground surface, pushed upward by the colder, "heavier," near-surface water. The fault zones also offer rapid penetration of the ground or meteoric water to depths where the rocks are hot enough to generate a convective up flow of hot water. The low SO4 content in the Malaysian hot springs and absence of volcanic activities near the hot springs in Malaysia decline the possible volcanic origin of the hot waters in these springs and rather support the theory of a mixed coaling magma and geothermal gradient model. The contaminations of some of these hot springs are most probably due to the near-surface mixing with the ocean water or the soil cover. Out of the 61 so far detected areas, in anticipation of the publication in the near future where all areas are considered, this article will focus on three hot springs only to show the similarities and differences.
Keywords: Hot springs, non-volcanic, Malaysia, Setting, Origin
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