Friends of Kootenay Blog Access stories and photos about the
natural and human history of Kootenay National Park and Columbia
Valley Includes highlights about the Friends of Kootenay
National Park activities and programs. Redwall Fault & Hot Water
The Redwall Fault by Larry Halverson The iron-rich cliffs of
this dramatic park entrance are known as the “Iron Gates”. They
were formed by intense heat and pressure during the building of
the Rockies. It is the best example of fault breccia (shattered
and reconsolidated rock) in the Rocky Mountain parks. The Radium
Hot Springs Pools can thank the Redwall Fault for its source of
water, which originates from the fault's depths. Normal rain
water filters down into the earth's crust continuously. Since
the temperature rises one degree Fahrenheit every eighteen
meters we go into the earth, the water must percolate down at
least 2.5 km below the surface in order to encounter rock that
is hot enough to turn it to steam. As the steam is forced to
rise, it condenses back to