International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 26 Number 4- August 2015
Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Thermal Springs: A
Case Study
Mohammed H. S. Zangana
Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Abstract — There are a number of natural springs in
the Kurdistan region of Iraq, these springs has
become a popular destination for locals and even for
people from outside the region, especially, those who
are suffering from skin diseases. Hammam Jalli is one
of these springs which attract thousands of local and
non local people annually. However, in spite of its
wide use, the thermal behaviour and the therapeutic
benefits of hammm jalli's water is not well understood.
According to the author's knowledge, there are no
previous detailed studies on the physical and chemical
properties of hammam jalli's water. This being the
case, this study presents a data collected
systematically over 12 months (one year) on
temperature, pH and electrical conductivity of
Hammm Jalli's water. The temperature measurement
results showed that in the winter, i.e. in the coldest
season of the year, the water temperature of Hammam
Jalli's spring was significantly higher than the air
temperature of the surrounding region. During this
study also, the Hammam Jalli's water was analyzed
chemically which can be used to understand its
therapeutic effects.
Keywords — Thermal Springs, Water Temperature,
pH, Electrical Conductivity, Chemical Composition,
Hammam-Jalli.
I.
INTRODUCTION
Thermal spring defined as a natural spring producing
water at a temperature greater than the mean annual
temperature of the surrounding region or at a
temperature above that of the human body ( 37 oC).
The definition of a thermal spring is often based on
the mean annual air temperature of the region in
which they are located, this is due to the fact that the
climate of one region differs from that of another,
what is warm in one region may not be considered to
be such elsewhere [1]. A thermal spring may be a hot
spring or a warm spring [2]. Hot springs have
temperatures higher than 37 oC and warm spring
temperatures can be in the range of one or two
degrees higher than the air temperature of the
surrounding region up to 37 oC [3]. According to [4]
springs with water having a temperature between 21
o
C (70 oF ) and 36.7 oC (98 oF) are classed as warm
springs and those above 36.7 oC (98 oF) are called hot
springs. Normal human body temperature (37˚C) is
generally accepted as the boundary between warm
and hot [1].
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Thermal springs to exist naturally, there are a number
of elements have to work in concert. These elements
are [5]: (1) a heat source; (2) a recharge source; (3) a
circulation framework or storage reservoir; and (4) a
discharge mechanism. The most basic element is the
heat source because it alone separates geothermal
spring systems from all others. Different sources for
heating the water of the springs naturally can be
found in the literature. For example, [6] has
mentioned that the heat of thermal springs may be
derived: (a) from the natural increase in temperature
of the earth with depth, (b) from an underlying body
of hot or possibly molten rock, (c) from zones where
there has been faulting of the rocks with the resultant
development of heat, (d) from chemical reactions
beneath the surface, or (e) from the energy derived by
the disintegration of radioactive elements. It is
accepted that the first two methods of heating are
common for the most of thermal springs [1] and [4].
The water of thermal springs in the areas of present or
very recent volcanic activity is heated by the uncooled lava below the surface of the earth [6]. Some
thermal springs, however, are not related to volcanic
activity. In such cases, the water is heated by
convective circulation: ground water is percolating
downward into great depths where the temperature of
rocks is high because of the normal temperature
gradient of the Earth’s crust and that there is a
possibility for the water to ascend to the earth’s
surface again [7] and [8].
Thermal spring as a natural phenomenon, it can be
found in many countries around the world such as in
Iceland, New Zealand, Chile, Hungary, Taiwan, USA
and Japan. These springs became popular tourist
destinations over the last decades due to their claimed
medicinal and therapeutic values [9] and [10]. Some
of the natural springs in the Kurdistan region of Iraq
can also be considered as a thermal spring; Hammam
Jalli is one of them [11].
II. HAMMAM JALLI'S SPRING
Natural springs in the Kurdistan region of Iraq are
known by locals under various names, for example
Hammam, Garaw, Ganaw or Ganau. Hammam-Jalli
is one of these springs which is located within the
North East of Haibat Sultan mountain and just 9 km,
North of the city of Koya and 24 km South West of
Ranya. Its location to the other major cities in
Kurdistan are as the following: 50 km South East of
Erbil, 76 km North East of Kirkuk, 90 km North West
of Sulaymaniyah and 163 km South East of Duhok
(Fig.1 and Fig.2). Hammam Jalli consists of two
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 26 Number 4- August 2015
springs with three bathing pools. The distance
between the two springs is about 100 m. The first
spring (spring 1) is with one bathing pool (pool 1).
This pool is naturally made with a free surface of 5 m
x 7 m and irregular depth ranging from a few
centimeters to 1 m. The 2nd spring (spring 2) feds two
bathing pools (pool 1-spring 2, pool 2-Spring 2, as
termed during the current work). Part of developing
the hammam jalli's springs these two pools were
made by the authority in the region. These pools are
differing from each other in their shape and size.
Bathing pool 1-spring 2 has a rectangular shape with
dimensions of 5.6 m width, 6 m length and 1.5 m
depth. The water of this pool discharges to pool 2spring 2 which has a circular shape with diameter 5 m
and depth of 0.5 m. Bathing pool 2-spring 2 is about
12 meters away from pool 1-spring 2 which they are
connected through a concrete open channel.
Hammam Jalli is attracting thousands of local people
every year, mainly, those who are suffering from skin
diseases such as psoriasis, Urticaria, Leucoderma,
eczema, acne, dermatitis…etc. Both the water and the
mud of Hammam Jalli have been used as a treatment,
or cosmetics (Fig. 3). Therefore, this spring could
make a substantial contribution to the local and even
regional economy.
According to [1] the optimal use of any thermal
spring is largely dependent upon its physical and
chemical characteristics. That is why, the physical
and chemical properties of the thermal springs have
attracted a great deal of attention from many
researchers over the last decades and all over the
world, especially the temperature and the chemical
features of the springs. This being the case, the
current study focuses on the temperature, pH and
electrical conductivity measurements of Hammm
Jalli's water, in addition to its chemical compositions
which can be analyzed to understand its therapeutic
effects.
a
Ranya
Dukan
Lake
Koya
b
Duhok
Erbi
l
Kirkuk
Koy
a
Sulaymaniya
h
c
Baghdad
d
Fig. 2 a, b, c, and d Location of Hammam Jalli's spring.
Fig.1 Springs of Hammam Jalli
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 26 Number 4- August 2015
IV.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The data obtained during the current work were
analyzed and the results are presented and discussed in
this section as the following:
A. Temperature Measurements
Fig. 3 Local people using Hammam Jalli's water and Mud [12].
III.
DATA AND METHODOLOGY
The data presented in the current study is for twelve
months from October 2013 to September 2014. The
parameters measured were the in-situ water
temperature, the air temperature of the surrounding
region, pH and water conductivity. During the present
work also information on the water flow from the
springs were obtained, this is in addition to the
chemical composition analysis of water samples from
hammam jalli springs. To obtain these data locally
field trips to Hammam Jalli springs were arranged on
a regular basis, for each month there was at least 1-3
visits.
For the temperature measurements two digital
thermometers (Model TP-3001) with an accuracy of
≤ 0.5 oC were employed. Care has been taken during
the temperature measurements, for example, holding
the meters in place for enough time to get the correct
readings, or re-checking the readings from both
thermometers by comparing them together.
The two other measurements that have been made on
the Hammam Jalli's water were the pH and the
electrical conductivity. The pH of the water was
measured using a pH meter, type BP 3001, which can
measure across the full pH range (i.e. 0 to 14 pH) and
can be used with most water samples. The pH meter
used can achieve a resolution of 0.01 pH with an
accuracy of ± 0.02 pH. The water conductivity, on the
other hand, was measured using a conductivity meter
Model DDS-11AW. The meter was provided with the
temperature compensation functions and was capable
to measure the conductivity with an accuracy of ±
1.5% full scale.
For the chemical composition analysis, samples of
hammam jalli's water were collected at the source of
springs and stored in a sample bottle before being
submitted to the water testing laboratories at North
Gas Company (NGC).
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Hammam Jalli as mentioned previously consists of
two springs, one with one bathing pool and the other
with two pools. For recognition purposes during the
present work they have termed as pool 1-spring 1,
pool 1-spring 2 and pool 2-spring 2 respectively. Since
pool 1-spring 2 and pool 2-Spring 2 are connected in
series, in other words, the water of pool 1-spring 2
discharges to pool 2-spring 2, therefore, the thermal
characteristics of the latter are expected to be changed
due to the heat losses during the water transportation
through the open surface channel between the two
pools. This being the case, the data presented here is
from the source of the springs, i.e. pool 1-spring 1 and
pool 1-spring 2. The temperature data presented
includes the in-situ water temperature at the source of
Hammam jalli springs and the local air temperature of
the surrounding region of the springs. They are
analysed in different ways and discussed as the
following:
The in-situ water temperature and the local air
temperature for pool 1-spring 1 and pool 1-Spring 2
are shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, respectively. From the
later figure it can be seen that the water temperature of
spring 2 is greater than the air temperature of the
surrounding region for the seven month period of the
year from April to October. In fact the water
temperature was kept constant around 31 oC
throughout the year. However, the temperature
differences were resulted from the temperature
variations over the seasons in the year. In the winter,
i.e. in the coldest season of the year, the water
temperature was significantly higher than the air
temperature up to 16.8 oC in January. However, in the
summer time the water of spring 2 is no longer
warmer than the surrounding air.
The data presented in Fig. 4 are limited to only eight
months (January – August), the reason behind that as
observed during the current study, the spring 1 was
completely stopped flowing over the period of four
months (September- December) until
it started
discharging again in January. Meanwhile, the water of
spring 2 was flowing continuously throughout the
year. Moreover, the water temperature of spring 1 was
not constant and the highest value was recorded in
May (38.9 oC).
To determine the difference between the water
temperature of the springs and the mean annual
temperature (MAT) of the area where the spring
located, information on the mean annual temperature
(MAT) were collected from different sources for
example [13 and 14], this is in addition to the data
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 26 Number 4- August 2015
obtained during the current work. Information from
WMO on the temperature measured over the period
1961-1990 are provided by [13]. The mean annual
Temperature (MAT) used for the current work is 18.9
o
C [14]. Accordingly, the temperature difference for
spring 1 and 2 was calculated and plotted in Fig. 6 and
Fig. 7 respectively. Both figures show that the
temperature difference between the water temperature
of the springs and the mean annual temperature
(MAT) are significant. For instance the temperature
difference for pool 1-spring 1 can be as big as 20 oC,
and for pool 1-spring 2 is greater than 12 oC.
According to the definitions of thermal springs from
the literature for example [1], [3] and [4], Hammam
Jalli springs can be introduced as a thermal springs.
Taking normal human body temperature (37˚C) as a
baseline between warm and hot springs, Hammam
Jalli springs is classed as a warm springs. From what
have been mentioned Hammam Jalli springs are
thermal (warm) springs [11].
Fig. 4 Water temperature of pool 1-spring 1 and the air
temperature of the surrounding region.
Fig. 6 Temperature difference between Water
temperature of pool 1-spring 1 and the mean annual
temperature (MAT).
Fig. 7 Temperature difference between Water
temperature of pool 1-spring 2 and the mean annual
temperature (MAT).
B. pH and Electrical Conductivity
Fig. 5 Water temperature of pool 1-spring 2 and the air
temperature of the surrounding region.
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pH and electrical conductivity of Hammam Jalli's
water are presented in Figures 8 -11. Figures 8 and 9
show the pH of the water of spring 1 and spring 2
respectively. From the stated figures, it can be seen
that the pH values of spring 1 are in the range of 7.17.4 (except August, the pH is 7.72) and for spring 2
are in the range of 6.75 -7.29 (except April, the pH is
8.25). The small changes in the pH values, it may
suggest that the water conditions (properties) of
Hammam Jalli were stable over the period of the
current study.
Figures 10 and 11 present the electrical conductivity
of the water of spring 1 and 2 respectively. The figures
show that the electrical conductivity of the springs at
25 oC are in the range of 625 -727 µS/cm. Based on
the information available in literature, e.g. [15], [16]
and [17] both the pH and the conductivity of the water
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 26 Number 4- August 2015
of hammam jalli springs are in the allowed pH and
conductivity ranges of drinking waters.
Fig. 11 Electrical conductivity of water for pool 1spring 2.
Fig. 8 pH of the water of pool 1-spring 1.
C. Chemical composition
Fig. 9 pH of the water of pool 1-spring 2.
Fig. 10 Electrical conductivity of water for pool 1spring 1.
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As mentioned in section A, the spring 1 was
completely stopped flowing over the period of four
months from September to December before it starts
discharging again in January. Meanwhile, the water of
spring 2 was flowing continuously throughout the
year. Therefore the chemical composition data of
spring 2 were considered in the current work. The data
are presented in Table I and in the form of major ions
such as Calcium, Magnesium, Chloride, Sulfate…etc.
For comparison purposes the chemical composition
standards of the drinking water as found in the
literature (e.g. [15] and [16]) are listed in the third
column of the table. The chemical composition data of
human jalli's water show that the concentration of
chemical substances such as Calcium (Ca) and
Magnesium (Mg) is 190 and 100 mg/l, respectively,
which are in the range of potable waters. However,
both SO4-2 and SiO2 has a low concentration.
Moreover, traces of what is known as toxic substances
such as Lead (Pb) and Chromium (Cr) are found in the
Hammam Jalli's water samples. These substances need
a further analysis to make sure that they are within
allowable concentrations. Overall, Hammam Jalli's
water has a low mineral contents. According to [4] it
is not necessary for the thermal spring waters to carry
more mineral matters than the common potable
waters. The best explanation for the thermal springs
with a low concentration of the major ions such as
Na, Ca, Mg, and Cl, SO4..etc, is may be the one that is
given by [8]; which states that the thermal waters of
these springs may have been in contact with rocks
containing little or no soluble components. Based on
what have been mentioned the low concentration of
the major ions of Hammam Jalli's water must not
affect on introducing Hammam Jalli springs as a
thermal springs, in other words, Hammam Jalli can be
classed as thermal (warm) springs [11].
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 26 Number 4- August 2015
TABLE I
CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS OF HAMMAM
JALLI'S WATER
Chemical
Compositions
Calcium
(Ca)
Magnesium
(Mg)
M.O
Chloride
(Cl-)
Iron (Fe)
NH3
PO4-3
Sulfate
(SO4-2)
SiO2
Copper
(Cu)
Chromium
(Cr)
Cadmium
(Cd)
Cobalt (Co)
Lead (Pb)
Manganese
(Mn)
Nickel (Ni)
Zinc (Zn)
Hammam
Jalli's Water
(gm/l)
190.0
Standards of the
Drinking Water
(gm/l) [15],[16]
75 - 200
100.0
50 -
150
315.0
46.7
170 200 -
200
600
0.035
0.536
1.67
40.0
0.3 -
200 -
15.93
Trace
1.0 -
1.0
400
-
5From the chemical composition data,
Hammam Jalli's water has a low mineral contents.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author would like to express his sincere thanks to
North Gas Company (NGC) in Kirkuk for their help
in testing the chemical compositions of the water
samples free of charge. Special thanks also go to the
directorate of quality control at the Ministry of Trade
and Industry-KRG for their guidance and supports in
relation to the sampling and providing standard
sampling bottles. I would also like to acknowledge
the assistance received from my colleague in the
Chemical engineering department, Mr. Fakhri H.
Ibrahim and the staff of the research center at the
faculty of engineering/ Koya University, especially,
Mr. Fryad M. Sharif and Mrs. Sara Gh. Ibrahim on
pH and water electrical conductivity measurements. I
am grateful also to Mr. Khudadad Karami at
Petroleum engineering department/ Koya University
for providing the satellite images from Google Earth
on the location of hammam jalli springs.
1.5
REFERENCES
Trace
0.05
[1]
Trace
-
Trace
Trace
Trace
0.1
0.1- 0.5
[2]
Trace
Trace
-
[4]
5.0- 15.0
[5]
[3]
[6]
V.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the data and discussion presented above, the
following conclusions can be drawn:
[7]
[8]
1The water temperature of spring 2 of
Hammam Jalli was kept constant around 31 oC
throughout the year. However, the water temperature
of spring 1 was varied and the highest value was
recorded in May.
2Spring 1 was completely stopped flowing
over the period of four months; from September to
December before it starts discharging again in
January. Meanwhile, the water of spring 2 was
flowing continuously during the year.
3Based on the data presented in the current
study, Hammam Jalli's spring can be classified as
Thermal (warm) spring.
4The pH and the electrical conductivity of the
water of hammam jalli springs are in the permissible
ranges of drinking water.
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