1. Geothermal Energy
Sharon Kovars
Block 3A

2. What is it? How does it work?
Geothermal energy comes from the heat energy from the rocks inside Earth. The word geothermal means “heat from the ground.”
It works by pumping water from the ground and releasing steam. The steam generates turbines, which makes energy.

4. People soaking in a hot springs
Past and Present Uses
Since 1960, people have been using geothermal energy, particularly in northern California.
Geothermal energy is being used for bathing, cooking, and heating buildings.
People soaking in a hot springs

5. Environmental Impacts
Pros: Geothermal energy is good for the environment. It is renewable and clean.
Cons: Low levels of carbon dioxide are given off. Large amounts amount of land are used for geothermal plants.

6. Societal Impacts
Pros: Geothermal energy provides energy day and night, all year long.
Cons: A lot of places don’t have geothermal water. The release of steam from the power plants can be noisy. It can also take a long time to heat and reheat.

7. Societal Impacts Continued
Cost: The cost of geothermal power does not fluctuate like oil and gas prices and it costs less overall compared to a gas or coal power plant.

8. Societal Impacts Continued
Safety: When drilling, you should be careful because where you drill is where the earthquakes are found. So, they are drilling more shallow to avoid disturbing the area.
Example of a geyser

9. Other Impacts
There are many ways to get geothermal energy from the Earth:
Drilling a borehole into the Earth to get geothermal water.
Heat exchange: heat is transferred from geothermal water to clean water. The clean water absorbs heat. Then the geothermal water is returned to the ground.
Hydrothermal: When magma comes close to the surface, ground water is trapped in porous rocks.

10. Opinion Use in Wisconsin? Use in the U.S.? Use globally?
No, because WI is not the place for geysers, volcanoes, fumaroles, or hot springs.
Use in the U.S.?
Yes, because there are areas in the U.S. that are leaders in geothermal energy—California, Nevada, Hawaii, Idaho, and Utah.
Use globally?
Yes, because the Ring of Fire goes around the Pacific Ocean, where plates move and the earthquakes and volcanoes are formed. This is a place for geothermal energy.

11. The Pacific Ring of Fire

12. Sources
Saunders, N. (2008). Geothermal energy. Gareth Stevens Publishing.
EIA Energy Kids. (n.d.). Eia energy kids-geothermal. Retrieved from
Google.
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Sunset Travel.
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Blorge.