GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Carys, Gino, and Willy SPHSC 6th Grade

1. Introduction: What is it?
What is Geothermal Energy? Well, Geothermal
Energy is energy that is created in the middle of
the earth, (Fig. 2) which is the core. The major
source of Geothermal energy is the heat from
molten underground rock or magma. The water
thats near the magma is heated to high
temperature and gets hot, and then the water
vapours rise up through cracks, some people
drill wells or cracks in the ground on purpose,
they can use the hot water and the steam to
power up electricity and also to heat up
buildings. Its a form of renewable energy.
Renewable energy is energy that can be
reproduced or can be made and it is infinite.
Geothermal energy is renewable because the
earths core always keep producing magma, but
people use its steam, like we said before.

3. Harnessing it: How People use Geothermal Energy!

There are three ways people use geothermal energy. There
is Dry Steam Plants (Fig. 1) , the steam from water will be
transported using a pipe and is converted to energy
directly. That is the easy one. Then there is Flash Steam
Plants (Fig. 3) . Flash Steam Plants used the heated water
steam. When the steam goes up and goes to the turbines
and then it produces electricity. Then the steam was
condensed to water and it injects it back. And the last one
is Binary Cycle Power Plant (Fig. 4) Binary Cycle Power
Plants uses hot water and then it change it to another
liquid and then it the other liquid produce steam to turn
the turbines to produce electricity. (Some History) The
geothermal power plant was made by Prince Piero Ginori
Conti. He made it because he wanted to test magma and
to use it because of the devastation destruction that lava
made. Then He build a prototype machine that use
geothermal energy for the first time.
4. The Good and Bad:

Fig 2

Fig 3

Geothermal energy is environmental friendly and doesnt

cause that much pollution.
Geothermal reservoirs are natural and geothermal energy is
renewable!
Harnessing Geothermal energy requires no fuels! Which saves
money!
Geothermal plants cause earthquakes
Geothermal power is only renewable when the reservoirs are
well managed.
Fig 1

2. Where its Found:

Geothermal energy is found at the inner core of the earth,
(Fig. 2) You might think that Earth has a normal iron core but
it has hot magma, even hotter than the sun! And that is why
where geothermal energy found or made at the earth. You
can find geothermal energy almost anywhere! If you dig
down and down you will not find space, but you will find
magma!
Sites and Sources:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/
geothermal-energy-info.htm
http://geothermalprosandcons.net/history-of-geothermalenergy/
http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=geothermal_home
http://www.eia.gov/KIDS/energy.cfm?page=about_
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/geothermal-energy/
tech.htmlhttp://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/energy/
geothermalenergy.html
http://energyinformative.org/geothermal-energy-pros-andcons/
Fig 1: http://www.iowaenergycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/
2013/06/dry-steam1.jpg
Fig 2: http://science.jrank.org/kids/article_images/
earth_p26.jpg
Fig 3: http://www.iowaenergycenter.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/06/flashsteam1.jpg
United States
Fig 4: http://www.iowaenergycenter.org/wpGeothermal
content/uploads/2013/06/binary-cycle.jpg
Energy Use
2014
Fig 4 New Mexico : 0.1
California : 76%
Nevada : 18%
Utah : 13%
Hawaii : 2%
Oregon : 1%

Idaho : 0.3%