Turning red-hot lava from an lively volcano into electrical energy can be harmful and unreliable. Volcanoes don’t erupt on predictable schedules, and lava cools too rapidly. However many international locations, together with the U.S., have discovered methods to faucet volcanic warmth to make electrical energy.
Geothermal power comes from warmth generated by pure processes deep throughout the Earth. In most areas, this warmth solely warms rocks and underground water close to the floor. In volcanically lively areas, nonetheless, the warmth is far more intense. Typically, it melts rock, forming magma.
Volcanoes act like large warmth vents, elevating magma nearer to Earth’s floor. A few of this molten rock could erupt, however a lot of it stays underground, heating the encompassing rocks and water. The place heated water rises to the floor, it creates scorching springs and geysers that may final for hundreds of years.
To harness this power to generate electrical energy, engineers establish areas the place magma is close to the floor and drill deep wells right down to the heated rocks and water. These wells carry steam to the floor, the place it’s directed into an influence plant to spin generators and generate electrical energy.
Earth’s warmth will be transformed into geothermal power in a number of alternative ways.
After it produces electrical energy, the steam cools and condenses again into scorching water. The water could also be used to convert a unique liquid with a a lot decrease boiling level, corresponding to butane, to drive a second generator. Then, it’s pumped again underground to be reheated.
The Earth continually produces warmth, so geothermal power is a renewable useful resource. And geothermal energy vegetation produce a lot much less air pollution, waste, and greenhouse fuel emissions that heat Earth’s local weather than burning coal, fuel, oil, or utilizing nuclear power.
Geothermal power sources can final for many years and even longer. In contrast to different renewable sources corresponding to photo voltaic and wind energy, geothermal power is out there 24/7, twelve months a 12 months.
The World’s Geothermal Scorching Spots
Geothermal power is already utilized in many locations around the globe, particularly in areas with loads of volcanic exercise. For instance, virtually all of Iceland’s electrical energy comes from renewable sources, with geothermal power supplying about 25%. The nation sits on high of many lively volcanoes, making it an ideal place for geothermal energy vegetation.
Some U.S. states, together with Californiaand Nevada, have geothermal energy vegetation, because of their volcanic areas. Different lively geothermal websites, corresponding to Yellowstone Nationwide Park in Wyoming, are shielded from growth.
Most geothermal energy vegetation in the US are in western states and Hawaii, the place geothermal power assets are near the Earth’s floor. USEIA
Challenges for Geothermal Energy
Why isn’t geothermal power used as broadly as wind or solar energy? First, geothermal energy vegetation have to be close to volcanoes or different locations the place it’s unusually scorching beneath the floor. These assets aren’t all the time close to massive cities or industries that use loads of electrical energy.
Second, drilling deep wells and constructing energy vegetation will be costly. Nonetheless, the long-term advantages of geothermal energy usually outweigh the preliminary prices.
Third, in some instances, drilling and pumping water beneath stress could cause small earthquakes. Scientists and engineers are working to predict and handle this impact.
Regardless of these challenges, tapping into the Earth’s pure warmth can create a renewable, dependable and clear supply of power. As know-how improves, extra locations around the globe will flip to geothermal power to gentle up folks’s lives. Volcanoes are reminders of an excellent powerhouse deep underground that’s ready to be harnessed.
David Kitchen is an Affiliate Professor of Geology on the College of Richmond. This text is republished from The Dialog beneath a Inventive Commons license. Learn the authentic article.
