| The heat of the Earth makes up what is known | | | | it. These temperatures can reach up to 700 |
| as geothermal energy. When dust and gasses | | | | degrees Fahrenheit. When the water travels to |
| from Earth mixed together 4 billion years | | | | the Earth's surface, it becomes hot springs |
| ago, geothermal energy resulted. | | | | or geysers. Mostly it stays trapped in |
| | | | fractured, porous rocks called geothermal |
| Inside the Earth at its core, some 4, 000 | | | | reservoirs. This heat near the Earth's |
| miles deep, the temperature is estimated at | | | | surface becomes a form of energy. |
| about 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Geothermal | | | | |
| energy has been used throughout history for | | | | Hot water or steam from the reservoir exerts |
| bathing, relaxing, cooking and heating. It | | | | a force that can spin a turbine connected to |
| was thought by some to have healing effects | | | | a generator and produces electricity. The |
| and was used to treat eye and skin diseases. | | | | cooled water is then returned to the |
| The first geothermal generator that produced | | | | reservoir in order for it to reheat. Much |
| energy was built in Lardarello, Italy in | | | | exploration and testing needs to be done to |
| 1904. The United States followed with their | | | | determine where the geothermal underground |
| first attempt at geothermal power in 1912 at | | | | waters are. When ideal spots are located, |
| The Geysers in California. Today it is | | | | drilling is done to create production wells |
| produced in twenty-one countries around the | | | | that bring the water to the Earth's surface |
| world. | | | | for power generation in geothermal power |
| | | | plants. |
| Geothermal energy is located deep in the | | | | |
| ground. The heat at the core of the Earth has | | | | Although the costs to construct geothermal |
| an outward flow. As it moves, it is | | | | plants and geothermal wells are high, the |
| transferred to surrounding rock layers called | | | | cost of producing electricity is lower over |
| the mantle. As temperatures and pressure | | | | time. The fuel is reliable, stable and does |
| increase, the rock melts and becomes magma. | | | | not need to be transported. The white smoke |
| The magma moves toward the surface of the | | | | you will see over geothermal power plants is |
| earth carrying the heat with it. If the magma | | | | not smoke but rather steam. During the |
| reaches the Earth's surface, it becomes lava. | | | | process of operations it may, however, bring |
| However, most of it stays below the Earth's | | | | some hazardous gases from underground. |
| crust and heats rocks and water that surround | | | | |