Did you know that the habitation of Paleo-Indians near hot springs more than 10,000 years ago was the earliest human use of geothermal resources in North America? Warmth and cleanliness were provided by the springs, while healing was provided by their minerals. Although geothermal energy was used mostly for health back at the time, now it serves a range of purposes.
In this article, we will talk about what geothermal energy is, what advantages and disadvantages it has, and its importance.
Geothermal Energy Definition
Geothermal energy can be defined as thermal energy occurring from the energy captured throughout the Earth's formation and from the radioactive decay of materials about 5 billion years ago. However, since the rate of energy emerging from the Sun is 5000 times faster than the rate of heat flow through Earth's crust, Earth's surface temperature is determined by energy from the Sun rather than heat flowing from its core.
Geothermal energy is considered to be a renewable resource since its source is the nearly limitless quantity of heat generated by the Earth's core. Also, it is a sustainable energy source because even if geothermal areas rely on a hot water reservoir, the volume of water extracted can be reinjected.
The three main geologic formations: hydrothermal vents, geopressured, hot and dry rock, and magma enable geothermal energy extraction. Locations in which geothermal energy is available are distributed in areas with geologic instability that frequently undergo active volcanoes and tectonic movements.
Here is an image of installed geothermal energy capacity in 2020 measured in megawatts. The United States has the highest capacity. Our World in Data
Advantages of Geothermal Energy
- It is an environmentally friendly energy source because it does not emit greenhouse gases.
- It has no external dependence.
- Fossil fuels are not needed for electricity generation.
- It has high efficiency.
- It has a low investment cost.
Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy
- Because geothermal plants must be built where geothermal energy is available, some locations will be unable to benefit from this resource.
- Exposure to harmful chemicals can occur in the process.
- Preparation and research costs are high.
- Liquid substances coming out of geothermal sources, often create pollution.
- A large area is needed for installing drilling machines.
- It triggers earthquakes.
Geothermal plants must be built where geothermal energy is available. Only certain locations have access to geothermal energy.
Importance of Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy sources have many benefits which makes them a popular energy source where it is available. Geothermal energy is renewable, meaning that it is naturally replenishable on a human time scale. Geothermal energy is sustainable, meaning that it meets the needs of current generations of humans without impinging upon the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Geothermal energy also doesn't cause a huge amount of pollution or produce much carbon in its production, making it an environmentally friendly energy source.
Examples of Geothermal Energy
Some of the uses of geothermal energy are listed below:
- Greenhouse Heating: In various countries of the world, vegetable growing, fruit growing, and floriculture are carried out by heating greenhouses with geothermal energy.
- District Heating: District heating is more suitable in cold climates. Geothermal fluid located at a temperature above 40oC is used for heating buildings and cities with a centralized system, heating water.
- Industrial use: There are many uses of geothermal energy in the industrial field. These include vegetable drying, grain and timber drying, paper and pulp processing, chemical decontamination, and wastewater treatment
- To dry agricultural products
- Thawing ice and snow: This is practiced mostly in Argentina, Iceland, Japan, Switzerland, and America.
- Bathing and Swimming (Thermal Tourism): For thermal treatment centers, spa centers, and hot spring pools.
Here is an image of a hot spring pool. For thermal tourism, the use of geothermal energy is important.
Geothermal Energy - Key takeaways
- Geothermal energy can be defined as thermal energy captured throughout the Earth's formation and from the radioactive decay of materials about 5 billion years ago which is now stored below the Earth's crust.
- Geothermal energy is considered to be a renewable resource since its source is the nearly limitless quantity of heat generated by the Earth's core.
- The main geologic formations are hydrothermal vents, geopressured, hot and dry rock, and magma, which all allow for geothermal energy extraction.
- It is advantageous since it is environmentally friendly and has a high-efficiency extraction process.
- It can be disadvantageous in that it uses a large area of land to extract and can be expensive.
- Uses of geothermal energy include greenhouse and district heating, industrial use, thawing ice and snow, and thermal tourism.
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