What is Geothermal Energy?
Geothermal energy is produced from heat generated by the Earth's layer of hot and molten rock known as magma. (Photo: Geothermal electricity plant in Iceland)
Why bring liquid fossil fuels out of the Earth when the heat just 10,000 meters below the Earth’s surface contains 50,000 times more energy than all of the oil and natural gas on the planet?! That is geothermal energy, produced from the heat generated by the Earth’s layer of hot and molten rock known as magma.
Though it can be tapped into just about anywhere in the world, geothermal energy has its greatest potential in regions where there are active or young volcanoes. For instance, in the Pacific Rim, also known as the Ring of Fire, hundreds of geothermal “hotspots” can be found in Alaska, California, Oregon and Nevada.
As outlined by the Union of Concerned Scientists, there are three ways to capture geothermal energy, which are summarized below:
1) Hydrothermal Convection Systems, a naturally-occurring process by which cooler water seeps into Earth’s crust, is heated up, and rises to surface:
- Holes are drilled into rocks to effectively capture steam
- Captured steam drives electric generators
2) Direct Use of Geothermal Heat, by which hot spring water is run through pipes to heat homes and buildings.
3) Ground-Source Heat Pumps, which rely on the constant year-round temperature of about 50°F just below the ground’s surface:
- Geothermal heat pumps provide heat and cooling to buildings
- Either air or antifreeze liquid is pumped through pipes that are buried underground, and re-circulated into the building
- In summer, liquid moves heat from the building into the ground
- In winter, liquid moves pre-warmed air and water to heating systems
Geothermal energy is one of six renewable energies the U.N.’s IPCC predicts will provide 77 percent of the world’s power by 2050. Already, geothermal has a good start. As of this writing, 24 countries generate enough power from geothermal to provide electricity to 12 million homes. The U.S. leads the world in its production, with 80 percent of the country’s geothermal capacity centralized in California.
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