Why Is Geothermal Energy Considered A Renewable Resource Brainly?

Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. The geothermal energy of the Earth’s crust originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of materials (in currently uncertain but possibly roughly equal proportions). The geothermal gradient, which is the difference in temperature between the core of the planet and its surface, drives a continuous conduction of thermal energy in the form of heat from the core to the surface.

It comes from the Greek roots geo, meaning earth, and therme, meaning heat. Simply stated, geothermal energy is heat from within the Earth. The heat flows constantly from the Earth’s interior outward. The sources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth’s surface, and down even deeper to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock called magma.

While solar energy, hydropower, and wind energy are considered renewable sources of energy, geothermal stands out as the only alternative energy source that is always available despite weather or climatic changes. The heat continuously flowing from the interior of the Earth to the surface provides enormous, and actively renewed geothermal reserves.

Geothermal Energy is from the Earth’s Core

The heat source for geothermal energy comes from the Earth’s core, which is around 4,000 miles beneath the Earth’s surface. The core is made up of extremely hot molten rock due to radioactive decay of minerals and residual heat from the Earth’s formation billions of years ago.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “The Earth’s core consists mostly of hot, compacted metals of great density, while the outer core surrounding it is made up of molten rock and various minerals. The slow decay of radioactive particles in rocks generates additional heat.” This heat continues to rise up toward the surface in the form of hot water and steam which can be tapped to generate geothermal energy.

The Source is Constantly Replenished

The Earth’s core is the source of geothermal energy and it has existed for over 4 billion years, producing heat continuously over this immense timescale. The core is composed of an inner solid iron core and an outer liquid iron core. The temperature of the inner core is estimated to be between 4,500–5,500°C, which is as hot as the surface of the sun (National Geographic). This extreme temperature is maintained due to residual heat from planetary accretion during the Earth’s formation, as well as through radioactive decay of elements like uranium and potassium (Space.com).

This heat source is essentially limitless on human timescales and will continue radiating thermal energy for billions of years into the future. As the inner core slowly crystallizes, the process releases latent heat that replenishes the outer core. Convection currents in the outer core, driven by heat flow from the inner core, generate the Earth’s magnetic field through dynamo action. This geological activity indicates the core is still molten and hot. In summary, the Earth’s core can be viewed as an indefinitely lasting source of renewable geothermal energy due to its longevity and mechanisms that maintain high temperatures.

Geothermal Energy is Sustainable

Unlike fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil, which are finite resources that will eventually be depleted, geothermal energy is a renewable resource that can provide power indefinitely. The source of geothermal energy, the heat contained within the earth, is constantly being replenished. This makes geothermal power a sustainable energy option.

The earth contains a vast amount of thermal energy, or heat, within its core and crust from the formation of the planet billions of years ago and from the ongoing decay of radioactive materials. This heat continuously flows to the surface, where it emanates from hot springs, geysers, and volcanoes. With geothermal power plants, wells are drilled into underground reservoirs to tap into this heat energy.

Water or other fluids circulate through the geothermal reservoir, becoming very hot. They then return to the surface as steam or hot water, which is used to drive turbines that generate electricity. The cooled geothermal fluid is then injected back into the reservoir to be reheated, creating a sustainable cycle.

Unlike oil or gas drilling, which deplete finite resources over time, using geothermal energy does not diminish or deplete the earth’s heat source. Geothermal energy can provide constant baseload power indefinitely, as long as water is injected into the reservoir to replace the fluid brought to the surface. This makes it a renewable and sustainable energy solution.

Low Environmental Impact

Geothermal power plants produce minimal emissions compared to conventional fossil fuel power plants. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, geothermal plants emit 97% less sulfur compounds and about 99% less carbon dioxide than coal plants (source).

A study in the journal ScienceDirect found that geothermal heating can reduce particulate matter emissions by 77%, sulfur oxides by 76%, and carbon dioxide emissions by 78% compared to coal heating, per unit of heat generated (source).

The U.S. Department of Energy compared life cycle emissions of various power sources and found geothermal systems have minimal emissions and environmental impact compared to coal and other fossil fuels (source).

Overall, researchers widely agree that geothermal energy has a far lower environmental impact than conventional fossil fuel power generation. The emissions and pollution from geothermal plants are negligible in comparison.

Reliable Baseload Power

Geothermal energy can provide consistent, reliable baseload power because it does not rely on weather conditions or variability like some other renewable energy sources. Geothermal plants tap into the Earth’s internal heat that is continuously generated in the core, so the energy source is always available Baseload Capital – Investing in geothermal energy for a planet. The geothermal resource can produce power 24/7, regardless of time of day or weather conditions. This gives geothermal an advantage over intermittent renewables like solar and wind.

Baseload power is the minimum level of energy demand over a period of time. Geothermal is well suited for baseload generation because the plants can operate at consistently high capacity factors, usually >90%, compared to the average capacity factors of 25-50% for solar and wind plants Is Geothermal The Magic Bullet For Renewable Baseload?. The consistent energy output from geothermal helps maintain grid reliability and stability.

In places with substantial geothermal resources like California and Iceland, geothermal supplies a significant share of baseload power. With the ability to provide renewable, zero-emissions baseload power, geothermal can play an important role in the transition to sustainable energy systems.

Untapped Potential

Despite geothermal energy’s many benefits, only a small fraction of the earth’s geothermal resources are currently being utilized for energy production. According to the Center for Sustainable Systems, geothermal energy accounts for just 0.4% of electricity generation in the United States as of 2020 (Source). Globally, geothermal energy makes up only 0.5% of installed renewable energy capacity for electricity and heating/cooling applications (Source).

The vast majority of geothermal energy potential remains untapped. In the United States, geothermal power is concentrated in a handful of states like California, Nevada, Utah and Hawaii (Source). Even in these states, only a fraction of the available geothermal resources are being harnessed. There are opportunities to expand geothermal energy utilization both by developing new sites and by improving efficiency at existing plants.

technology Improvements

Advances in drilling and power plant efficiency continue to unlock more potential for geothermal energy. New techniques like directional drilling, which allows wells to turn corners, are enabling access to previously unreachable hot spots deep underground (1). Engineers have also developed Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) which pump water into dry hot rock formations to create artificial geothermal reservoirs (2). On the power plant side, binary cycle systems that use an alternate working fluid with a lower boiling point than water have improved efficiency (3). These innovations have expanded viable locations for geothermal plants and increased how much energy existing sites can generate. With further improvements to make drilling cheaper and accessing heat easier, geothermal’s untapped potential could be unlocked.

(1) https://www.nrel.gov/news/features/2023/full-steam-ahead-unearthing-the-power-of-geothermal.html

(2) https://about.bnef.com/blog/next-generation-geothermal-technologies-are-heating-up/

(3) https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1717

Global Resource

Most regions worldwide have some geothermal potential to utilize. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), global geothermal resources could provide more than 500 gigawatts of capacity(1). Geothermal energy is found at varying grades and depths throughout the planet. While high-temperature resources capable of electricity generation are concentrated in geologically active locations, lower-grade geothermal energy can be harnessed almost anywhere for direct heating applications.

Some countries with substantial geothermal resources include (2):
– Iceland (Pop. 400,000)
– Indonesia (Pop. 280 million)
– Italy (Pop. 59 million)

Events like The Geothermal Exhibition in Europe highlight the growing global interest and development of geothermal technology worldwide.

Conclusion

In summary, geothermal energy is considered a renewable resource because it comes from the Earth’s own heat within the core. This heat is constantly replenished through radioactive decay of minerals and gets transferred towards the surface in a continuous conduction process.

While solar and wind are intermittent, geothermal provides reliable baseload power. The resource is available globally, with largely untapped potential that can be unlocked through technology improvements. Geothermal has a small environmental footprint relative to fossil fuels, and doesn’t contribute to climate change.

Overall, geothermal energy taps into an unlimited bounty of the Earth’s own renewable heat, which can provide sustainable, clean electricity for humanity’s needs. With further development, geothermal can form a key pillar of a decarbonized energy system.