US map plots hot springs against underlying geothermal heat flow
A geothermal heat map compares subsurface heat flow across the United States, measured in milliwatts per square meter, against known locations of hot springs. The map shows the national average heat flow at roughly 65 milliwatts per square meter, with much of the western US running well above that level while the eastern US remains largely cooler.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The pattern suggests that thinner, fault-fractured crust in the West lets water descend and resurface hot more easily, which could point to broader geothermal energy potential in that region. The scattered eastern springs, described as relying on unusually deep water circulation, indicate that geothermal resources there may be rarer and harder to tap at scale.
- Average US geothermal heat flow is about 65 milliwatts per square meter
- Western states show elevated heat flow due to thinner, fractured crust
- Eastern hot springs like those in Arkansas and Virginia rely on deep water circulation rather than shallow heat
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Published there as: “Geothermal heat map of US hot springs”
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