Lois Kistler, age 11, of Allentown, , Fa,, for her question:

What caused the hot springs of Arkansas?

Arkansas has more mineral springs and hot springs than any other state. They were formed while the earths crust was humping up to foam the Ozark Mountains which adorn the northwestern part of the state. Many of them were formed in the Ouachita mountain range which reaches south from the Ozarks. In such a mountain making upheaval, steamy pockets of rock are trapped under new, cooler layers which seal in the buried heat.

Ground water seeps into the deep, hot pockets of rock. The water is heated and comes forth as hot springs. The town of Hot Springs in

Arkansas stands in a National Park. It is a resort area where people go to relax and enjoy the warm mineral waters from its 47 natural hot springs. Arkansas has other mineral resorts at Eureka Springs and Mammoth Springs.