Key:geothermal

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Public-images-osm logo.svg geothermal
View across the hot lakes in Hell's Gate thermal area.jpg
Description
Identifies the presence of geothermal activity. Show/edit corresponding data item.
Group: natural
Used on these elements
may be used on nodesshould not be used on waysmay be used on areas (and multipolygon relations)should not be used on relations (except multipolygon relations)
Useful combination
Status: in use

This key is used to identify that another map feature has geothermal activity present.

Geothermal activity can occur where a natural area is heated by hot groundwater coming to the surface. This activity can often be found in areas around hot springs, fumaroles, geysers, hot pools, mudpots, hydrothermal explosion craters, as well as areas of ground that may not be very hot but emit steam or other hot gases that come from ground water that has been heated by underlying hot rocks. The heat source need not be volcanic in origin.

Also, some man-made features can exploit geothermal activity by using the heated water or steam directly for heating, cooking or bathing. Geothermal energy is also exploited as an energy source for generating electricity or powering industrial processes. This key is intended to be flexible enough to also identify such uses in a simple way, without having a formal tagging scheme.

Values

Values in use

  • geothermal=yes - Identifies that geothermal activity can be found at the map feature.
  • geothermal=mud - Identifies that mud is geothermally active. The activity is not specified but could simply be an occasional release of steam, vapour or other gases.

Proposed values

  • geothermal=bathing - Identifies that bathing in geothermal hot (or warm) water is possible at the amenity or place.
  • geothermal=boiling_mud - Identifies that geothermally boiling mud is the geothermal activity naturally present.
  • geothermal=boiling_pool - Identifies that geothermally boiling pool of water is the geothermal activity naturally present.
  • geothermal=dormant - Identifies that this place historically had geothermal activity and has the potential to be active in the future but is currently inactive.
  • geothermal=eruption - Identifies that occasionally there are hydro-thermal eruptions at this place or there has been this sort of geothermal activity in the (recent) past.
  • geothermal=extinct - Identifies that this place was formed by geothermal activity but no longer has the potential to be active.
  • geothermal=heat - Identifies that geothermal heat is used as a source of energy for a human activity. However, the geothermal fluid (water or steam) is not used directly.
  • geothermal=steam - Identifies that geothermal activity is mostly steam or that geothermal steam is used as a source of energy for a human activity.

Tagging

Draw an area area and use geothermal=*. You can also name it with name=*.

For small geothermal hotspots, where no more suitable tag exists, place a node node at the location of the geothermal activity.

Note
Geysers and hot springs have their own tags.

Additional tags

  • name=* - Name
  • ref=* - Reference code or number.
  • natural=* - Some natural feature having geothermal activity.
  • water=* - Some water feature having geothermal activity.

Rendering

Default map style Osmarender OpenCycleMap OSMC Reitkarte
Not rendered ? ? ?

Geothermal activity is not usually rendered on maps. However, maps will often contain notes or comments that a particular place is notable, or a tourist attraction, because of the geothermal activity found there.

Common Synonymous Tags/Possible Tagging Mistakes

If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!

See also

  • natural=hot_spring - A place where natural hot water comes out of the ground.
  • natural=geyser - A place where water is periodically ejected under pressure from the ground from a vent as a result of some of the ground water becoming superheated and turning into steam or a build up of a natural gas such as CO2.
  • natural=fumarole - A fumarole is an opening in a planet's crust, which emits steam and gases.
  • generator:source=geothermal