New thought on Boiling Springs water source

[flyflicker]

http://cumberlink.com/news/local/communities/boiling_springs/study-finds-surprising-source-of-water-for-the-bubble-in/article_8978d407-a5f0-59f0-abb7-68467c9c4f7d.html

Very interesting findings...

In a snapshot this young chap claims that the majority of the spring's water is actually sourced SOUTH of South Mountain. This astounds me and maybe the newspaper reporter took some liberties.

Regardless I want to look up some of the young fellow's published research because it does not jive with current thinking or anything I have been taught. I love big/out-of-the-box ideas but I have hesitation on this one.

Just throwing this out there as an interesting thought...

 

[Dave_W]

Could you provide a short summary of this individual's findings/conclusions?

The linked article is behind a survey or paywall.

Thanks,
DW

 

[flyflicker]

Article synopsis:

An F&M geology graduate utilized NASA satellite data to gather data to correlate the monitored flow of the main spring in Boiling Spring to precipitation. I am assuming that it is the spring to the north of Childrens Lake with the hand rail around it.

He has interpreted his findings that 80% of Boiling Springs flow is derived from precipitation in the "Pigeon Hills" area of York County, south of South Mountain near the Maryland border (his interpretation).

This is problematic with current geologic thought as South Mountain is a deep-rooted igneous/metamorphic rock complex separate from the Cumberland Valley's carbonate bedrock (established interpretation).

The young geologist is basing his findings off of precipitation data via satellite and spring outflow data (I assume local gage).

I love "big" ideas, but this one is a little too far-fetched for me. Unless there is some serious fracture (faults) flow through/under South Mountain I find it hard to believe that the groundwater regimes on the North and South sides of South mountain are intertwined.

Again, this is an article in the Carlisle Sentinel News (local newspaper) and I want to look into the guy's actual published scientific research.

The story is not clickbait...the survey is a simple answer or opt out affair if you want to read the article. I will update once I can access the true published research.

 

[salmonoid]

It is not at all uncommon for water sources in karst regions to come from unintuitive locations. I remember a high school teacher talking about a dye test that was run on a stream in WV. Dye went underground at one spot and showed up miles away on the other side of a mountain. That was not how this research was done but conduits are different in karst terranes. His research used satellite sensing of precipitation to correlate inputs of rain with increased output at the spring.

As far as additional research, this work was done mostly by an undergrad, so probably not much published by him, yet

 

[flyflicker]

Salmonoid,

No doubt on your story of dye showing up miles away in a karst terrane. That is proven.

My confusion is how do you "move" surficial groundwater through south mountain? The Triassic diabase dikes which form the spring have not (as of yet) been mapped beyond the north flank of South Mountain.

I am not against the findings (if scientifically published), but they do require a geologically plausible answer.