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Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology pp 896–901Cite as

Spring Settings

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Synonyms

Groundwater discharge

Definitions

Spring: a localized discharge of groundwater disgorging from a point source.

Seep: multisource discharge of groundwater as a “spring line” or a broad, diffuse wet area.

Spring-fed river: a drainage way that may contain perennial flow sourced by groundwater despite a negative hydrologic budget.

Spring-fed wetland: an area sourced by groundwater that comprises perennially damp ground and/or standing, shallow water supporting aquatic vegetation.

Aquifer: a geologic formation that contains sufficient saturated permeable material to yield significant quantities of water to springs or wells.

Springs

Geology of springs

A spring is a localized discharge of groundwater disgorging onto the Earth’s surface. The source of the groundwater may be a great distance (tens to hundreds of kilometers) away, and the water may move at a slow rate (meters/year). There are varied natural geologic settings that result in groundwater flowing onto the surface, thereby...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Wright Geological Laboratory, Room 230, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA

    Gail M. Ashley

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  1. Gail M. Ashley
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Correspondence to Gail M. Ashley .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA

    Allan S. Gilbert

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Ashley, G.M. (2017). Spring Settings. In: Gilbert, A.S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4409-0_162

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