Advantages of geothermal energy
What is Geothermal energy
How is geothermal energy obtained and how does it work?
Geothermal energy is heat that is generated within the Earth. (Geo means “earth,” and thermal means “heat” in Greek.) It is a renewable resource that can be harvested for human use.
The earth is made up of different strata or rock layers from the center to the outside. Its core is a solid, incandescent mass composed of minerals, gases, and molten rocks. When rainwater seeps through the Rarth’s crust, it forms mantles, deep-water streams, and confined aquifers. When they come into contact with high subsurface temperatures, they create a geothermal reservoir formed by water and steam at elevated temperatures.
Now, let’s take a look at how this precious natural resource is obtained:
Geothermal energy is a renewable source of continuous production, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
It is a stable energy, as it doen't depend on wind or sun fluctuations.
It is an indigenous resource that avoids dependence on foreign energy.
Geothermal installations have a low visual impact and don't generate emissions. In addition, they take up a small amount of land
About 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) below the Earth’s crust, or surface, is the hottest part of our planet: the core. A small portion of the core’s heat comes from the friction and gravitational pull formed when Earth was created more than 4 billion years ago. However, the vast majority of Earth’s heat is constantly generated by the decay of radioactive isotopes, such as potassium-40 and thorium-232.
Isotopes are forms of an element that have a different number of neutrons than regular versions of the element’s atom. Potassium, for instance, has 20 neutrons in its nucleus. Potassium-40, however, has 21 neutrons. As potassium-40 decays, its nucleus changes, emitting enormous amounts of energy (radiation). Potassium-40 most often decays to isotopes of calcium (calcium-40) and argon (argon-40).
Radioactive decay is a continual process in the core. Temperatures there rise to more than 5,000° Celsius (about 9,000° Fahrenheit). Heat from the core is constantly radiating outward and warming rocks, water, gas, and other geological material. Earth’s temperature rises with depth from the surface to the core. This gradual change in temperature is known as the geothermal gradient. In most parts of the world, the geothermal gradient is about 25° C per 1 kilometer of depth (1° F per 77 feet of depth).
