Boiling Springs underground discovery; AG Shapiro on disposal bags

“The Bubble,” of Boiling Springs, Cumberland County, has been a point of much speculation by locals. The spring provides water to the borough’s recreational lake and is the summit of miles of underground caves that can be explored by divers. The source of the spring has long remained a mystery. However, a recent discovery by a team of geologists from Franklin & Marshall College has hydrologists rethinking typical models of ground-water flow.

The research team consisted of two professors of geoscience, Tim Bechtel and Robert Walter, and a student-researcher, Jake Longenecker. Their research included water sensors, NASA satellite data, and computer algorithms. The team recently released their findings in a scientific journal of geoscience, “Geophysical Research Letters.”  All three are on Monday’s Smart Talk.

The study reveals that the source of “The Bubble” is from the other side of the Maryland mountains, about 50 miles south of the spring. This outcome challenges what hydrologists previously deemed geologically possible for ground-water flow, as it requires the water to move through 10 different kinds of rock. These findings may provide new opportunities for research and fresh water sourcing.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro is also on Monday’s program to discuss a program to hand out drug deactivation and disposal bags in counties hit hardest by the opioid crisis.