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in Hot Creek all emerge along a stream section between two faults and discharge a total of about 8.5 cubic feet per second (about 240 liters per second) of hot water. This water flow represents nearly 70 percent of the total heat discharged by all thermal springs in Long Valley
Caldera. The thermal
439:
heat sources. The system in the Long Valley
Caldera is recharged primarily from snowmelt in the highlands around the western and southern rims of the caldera. The meltwater infiltrates to depths of a few kilometers (or miles), where some is heated to at least 430 °F (220 °C) by hot rock
536:, or steam vents, are also located in the gorge. They can occur in the ground beyond the creek bed. The unpredictability of this hazardous spring activity led the U.S. Forest Service to close parts of the Hot Creek Gorge in June 2006, and the closure has remained in effect as of February 2016.
531:
or intermittently spurting very hot, sediment-laden water as high as 6 feet (2 m) above the stream surface. At times this geysering activity is vigorous enough to produce "popping" sounds audible from hundreds of feet away. The geysering usually lasts a few seconds and occurs at irregular
523:
Hot Creek in the Hot Creek Gorge section can harbor dangers as the locations, discharge rates, and temperatures of springs often change. The changes can be sudden and dangerous to unprepared visitors (especially if entering beyond walkways and fences).
444:. The heated water, kept from boiling by high pressure, still has lower density than cold water, and it rises along steeply inclined fractures to depths of 0.3–1.25 miles (0.48–2.01 km). It then flows eastward through rock layers to
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of the ground. When fractures become sealed by mineral deposition, spring discharge and temperature decline. When new fractures develop or sealed fractures reopen, spring discharge and temperatures can increase suddenly.
452:. The water temperature declines eastward because of heat loss and mixing with cold water, and in the springs near Crowley Lake temperatures are at only about 125 °F (50 °C).
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The larger and more vigorous springs discharge from fractures in the volcanic rock in the gorge. Rock fracturing happens because the thermal area lies within a region of frequent
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312:. The stream is primarily sourced from melted snow water at 8,500 feet (2,600 m) above sea level. It is quite cold, rarely being above 50 °F (10 °C).
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734:"Challenges of managing the Hot Creek Thermal Area, Inyo National Forest, California"
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U.S. Geological Survey
Volcano Hazards Program: Long Valley Observatory website
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Since May 2006, springs in and near the most popular swimming areas have been
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springs farther east all discharge less water and at lower temperatures.
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as a geologic interpretive site and recreation area. It is popular for
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The Hot Creek Gorge area of Hot Creek is managed by the U.S.
774:"Inyo National Forest hears resident comments, suggestions"
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discharge points at the surface along Hot Creek and around
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As
Mammoth Creek leaves the Sierra and flows east into the
300:
named as
Mammoth Creek. It originates as an outflow of
519:—steam vent beside Hot Creek, in the Hot Creek Gorge.
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The springs near Hot Creek host one of the two known
738:
103rd Annual
Meeting, Geological Society of America
532:intervals, with several minutes between eruptions.
344:add hot water into the stream. Its mouth is at the
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33:Steam from geothermal springs rise above Hot Creek
795:USGS: Geology of Hot Creek and Hot Creek Gorge
435:is driven by a combination of topography and
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830:Rivers of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
296:The creek begins its course in the eastern
732:Oliver, Lynn; Farrar, Christopher (2007).
855:Rivers of the Sierra Nevada in California
752:"New Activity at Hot Creek Geologic Site"
658:United States Department of the Interior
624:United States Department of the Interior
415:map of the Mono Basin area, showing the
772:Grasseschi, Wendilyn (March 25, 2013).
715:Biological Opinion for SNFPA SEIS Final
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850:Hot springs of Mono County, California
800:USGS: Long Valley Caldera Virtual Tour
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384:United States Geological Survey (USGS)
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649:Geographic Names Information System
615:Geographic Names Information System
762:Inyo National Forest Press Release
717:. USFS. 2003-07-30. Archived from
324:it is joined by warmer water from
16:River in California, United States
14:
825:Rivers of Mono County, California
571:, which also starred True Grit's
240:Hot Creek Panorama in the Summer
27:
654:United States Geological Survey
620:United States Geological Survey
590:Mono Basin National Scenic Area
835:Tributaries of the Owens River
179: • coordinates
104: • coordinates
1:
845:Rivers of Northern California
398:Hot Creek hydrothermal system
330:Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery
74:Physical characteristics
683:"Boiling Water at Hot Creek"
431:systems, the circulation of
222:6,844 ft (2,086 m)
218: • elevation
147:8,563 ft (2,610 m)
143: • elevation
547:, as well as the 1960 film
508:Dangers and recent activity
167: • location
92: • location
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820:Hot springs of California
690:Our Volcanic Public Lands
151:
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380:Long Valley Observatory
539:Hot Creek Gorge was a
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308:and above the town of
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201:37.70833°N 118.78361°W
126:37.61806°N 119.00778°W
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277:Western United States
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840:Inyo National Forest
563:, and the 1971 film
482:Inyo National Forest
281:Inyo National Forest
206:37.70833; -118.78361
131:37.61806; -119.00778
421:click to see detail
417:Long Valley Caldera
404:Long Valley Caldera
394:volcanic activity.
388:volcano observatory
368:populations of the
322:Long Valley Caldera
279:. It is within the
232:The Hot Creek Pools
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326:geothermal springs
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721:on 2009-07-10.
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402:Main article:
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373:Owens tui chub
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292:Mammoth Creek
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755:. Retrieved
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719:the original
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694:. Retrieved
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661:. Retrieved
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627:. Retrieved
613:
610:"Twin Lakes"
604:
569:Gregory Peck
561:Nevada Smith
538:
526:
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504:activities.
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450:Crowley Lake
442:Inyo craters
433:ground water
429:hydrothermal
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354:Crowley Lake
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644:"Hot Creek"
585:Bishop Tuff
555:, the 1966
502:photography
467:and active
465:earthquakes
350:Owens River
338:hot springs
271:of eastern
269:Mono County
250:fly fishing
248:Hot Creek:
204: /
192:118°47′01″W
172:Owens River
129: /
117:119°00′28″W
814:Categories
757:2007-05-05
696:2007-09-16
663:2009-05-04
629:2009-05-04
596:References
573:Jeff Corey
553:John Wayne
437:geothermal
370:endangered
346:confluence
342:stream bed
302:Twin Lakes
273:California
189:37°42′30″N
114:37°37′05″N
97:Twin Lakes
58:California
565:Shoot Out
545:True Grit
534:Fumaroles
529:geysering
440:near the
375:species.
348:with the
316:Hot Creek
275:, in the
257:Hot Creek
22:Hot Creek
579:See also
517:Fumarole
490:swimming
366:Tui chub
39:Location
486:fishing
457:springs
392:caldera
382:of the
360:Ecology
328:at the
263:, is a
44:Country
500:, and
494:hiking
476:Access
469:uplift
287:Course
265:stream
161:
86:
83:Source
64:County
686:(PDF)
567:with
559:film
157:Mouth
54:State
455:The
413:USGS
386:, a
378:The
68:Mono
427:In
267:in
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419:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
