Geothermal Energy
Geothermal Energy
By Tej Mehta
Would you believe that a geyser can power your home? Well, it actually could. And it actually does power certain people's homes.
The word geothermal comes from the Greek root Geo, which means earth. And therm, which means hot.
Geothermal is when heat is extracted from the earth, and that is basically what the word means.
Geothermal has its pros, but it has its cons also. One of the pros is that there is tons of heat, under the earth, and it can be extracted through volcanoes, hot spots, and geysers (SEI 2). It is also greener than other sources such as fossil fuels because it is renewable (SEI 1). It is renewable because when heat is extracted it can be re-injected. Scientists say that the amount of heat below the earths crust is equivalent to about 76 million barrels of oil. (SEI 2.5)
The cons are that it is very hard to ship(SEI .75), and also, it can only be extracted in geothermal areas (SEI 1). Also, the earth's crust has to be drilled very deep (SEI 1), and it is expensive to store and maintain, so it is not as cost effective as other sources (SEI .5). Also, when drilling into the earth's crust, it releases chemicals, and it is hard to do (SEI .5). Since geothermal wells are usually found far away from cities, geothermal is less convenient than other sources like solar energy, where the panels can be placed directly on the roof.(SEI .25) Also, a maximum temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit is required to extract geothermal(SEI .5).
Overall, geothermal is a great source, that if we can figure out how to transport, could be a great step in our polluted world.
The word geothermal comes from the Greek root Geo, which means earth. And therm, which means hot.
Geothermal is when heat is extracted from the earth, and that is basically what the word means.
Geothermal has its pros, but it has its cons also. One of the pros is that there is tons of heat, under the earth, and it can be extracted through volcanoes, hot spots, and geysers (SEI 2). It is also greener than other sources such as fossil fuels because it is renewable (SEI 1). It is renewable because when heat is extracted it can be re-injected. Scientists say that the amount of heat below the earths crust is equivalent to about 76 million barrels of oil. (SEI 2.5)
The cons are that it is very hard to ship(SEI .75), and also, it can only be extracted in geothermal areas (SEI 1). Also, the earth's crust has to be drilled very deep (SEI 1), and it is expensive to store and maintain, so it is not as cost effective as other sources (SEI .5). Also, when drilling into the earth's crust, it releases chemicals, and it is hard to do (SEI .5). Since geothermal wells are usually found far away from cities, geothermal is less convenient than other sources like solar energy, where the panels can be placed directly on the roof.(SEI .25) Also, a maximum temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit is required to extract geothermal(SEI .5).
Overall, geothermal is a great source, that if we can figure out how to transport, could be a great step in our polluted world.
This sources SEI rating is: SEI(Samuel Energy Index) is 2
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