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Geothermal Energy --
Interesting Facts
Last Updated on:
06/28/2008 05:26 AM |
- The origin of the word
"Geothermal" is Greek. It comes from "geo" which means
"earth" and "therme" which is translated "heat".
- Geothermal energy ultimately
comes from radioactive decay in the core of the Earth, which heats
the Earth from the inside out, and from the sun, which heats the
surface.
- Volcanoes and geysers are
examples of geothermal energy.
- The ancient Romans used
geothermal energy to heat water in their bathhouses for centuries.
They also used the water to treat illnesses and heat homes.
- The first geothermal power plant
was started in 1904 in Larderello, Italy. It is still in operation
today.
- Geothermal energy comes from the
center of the earth. Its interior heat continual flows
outwards towards the surface
- In 1864, a hotel in Oregon
heated rooms using geothermal energy from underground hot springs.
- The first geothermal power plant
opened in California in 1921.
- A professor at Ohio State
University invented the first geothermal heating system in 1948.
- Geothermal electricity is clean
- no fossil fuels are burned.
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Links about
Geothermal Energy |
| A Study Of Production/Injection Data From Slim Holes And Large-Diameter Wells At The Okuaizu Geothermal Field, Tohoku, Japan:
new link -- Design and build PEM fuel cells, zero emission vehicles, and solar hydrogen power systems. Also contains hydrogen fuel cell FAQ and related
information. |
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Geothermal Energy (Tibet): Geothermal power plants do have some environmental impacts. However, these impacts should be balanced against geothermal energy’s advantages over
conventional power sources when conducting assessments of power plant project environmental impacts. The primary impacts of geothermal plant construction and energy production are
gaseous emissions, land use, noise, and potential ground subsidence. |
| History Of Geothermal: Understanding geothermal energy begins with an understanding of the source of this energy—the
earth’s internal heat. The Earth’s temperature increases with depth, with the temperature at the center reaching more than 4200 °C (7600 °F). A portion of this heat is a relic of the
planet’s formation about 4.5 billion years ago, and a portion is generated by the continuing decay of radioactive isotopes. Heat naturally moves from hotter to cooler regions, so Earth’s
heat flows from its interior toward the surface |
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