POWER UP!

Geothermal Energy
 POWER UP!

Geothermal Energy

Tamra Orr

Cherry Lake Publishing

A n n A r b o r, M i c h i g a n
Published in the United States of America by Cherry Lake Publishing
Ann Arbor, MI
www.cherrylakepublishing.com

Photo Credits: Page 11, Photo Courtesy of Library of Congress

Copyright ©2008 by Cherry Lake Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any
form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Orr, Tamra.
Geothermal energy/by Tamra Orr.
p. cm.—(Power up!)
ISBN-13: 978-1-60279-044-5 (lib. bdg.) 978-1-60279-097-1 (pbk.)
ISBN-10: 1-60279-044-2 (lib. bdg.) 1-60279-097-3 (pbk.)
1. Geothermal engineering—Juvenile literature. 2. Geothermal
resources—Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series.
TJ280.7.O77 2008
621.44—dc22 2007005620

Cherry Lake Publishing would like to acknowledge the work of

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Please visit www.21stcenturyskills.org for more information.
 Table of Contents

C H A P T E R O N E

Journey to the Center of the Earth 4

C H A P T E R T W O

When Energy Erupts 9

C H A P T E R T H R E E

Geothermal Heat Throughout Histor y 14

C H A P T E R F O U R

Bringing Up the Heat 20

C H A P T E R F I V E

Into the Future 24

Glossar y 30

For More Information 31

Index 32
 CHAPTER ONE

Journey to the Center

of the Earth

T he world is a very busy place. People are always hurrying on their way

to or from somewhere. Streets and highways are full of endless lines of

People worldwide, such as these in London, England, rarely think

about the power that the earth below their feet contains.

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traffic. Sidewalks are covered in pedestrians.
21 st
Century
Restaurants, stores, schools, and office
C ontent
Volcanoes are one
buildings are packed. indication of the activity
below the surface of the
With a population of 6.5 billion people earth, and some of them are
way too close to millions of
people. The city of Tokyo,
above the Earth’s surface, there is rarely a quiet
Japan, has a population of
more than 12 million and
moment. Believe it or not, there is just as much is about 62 miles (100 km)
from Mt. Fuji. More than
19 million people live
activity going on below the Earth’s surface, too.
in and around Mexico
City, which is relatively
Peeling Back the Layers near a volcano called
Popocatepetl. And Seattle,
Washington, is just 54 miles
The Earth is made up of layers similar to a
(87 km) from Mt. Rainier.
If Mt. Rainier exploded, its
hard-boiled egg. On the outside is the tough many glaciers would melt
and send torrents of mud
shell. This is the Earth’s crust. It varies in and slush rushing down into
the city.

thickness from as little as three miles (4.8 km)

to as much as 50 miles (80.5 km).

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 5

 The Earth’s crust is just the very thin surface, signified
by the narrow black outside band on this drawing.

6 21st CENTURY SKILLS LIBRARY

 The next layer is like the white part of the egg.
21 st
Century
This is the mantle. It is made up of partially
C ontent
World countries
melted or molten rock. The temperatures here meet on a regular
basis to discuss
range between 1,200 and 2,280 degrees F who is repsonsible
for Earth’s “hidden
resources” and who
(650 and 1,250 degrees C.)
has “the right” to
them.
The center of the Earth is the core. It is divided

up into an inner solid part and a liquid outer part.

The temperatures here are so hot that it is hard to

even imagine them. They range between 7,000 and

12,600 degrees F (3,900 and 7,000 degrees C.) In the

outer core, rocks have been turned into liquid because

it is so hot. This liquid is called magma. It stays hot

for between five thousand and a million years.

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 7

 The incredibly high temperatures in the center
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of the Earth are due to the decay, or breaking down,

Just as happens
of radioactive elements. The further you dig down
deep in the
Earth, decaying
radioactive into the ground, the hotter it gets. And that’s not all.
elements heat water
to steam in nuclear
While it may look like these parts of the earth are
power plants.
The steam drives
turbines to produce just sitting there quietly, in truth they are always on
electricity. Why is
this an efficient way the move.
to create electricity?

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 CHAPTER TWO

When Energy Erupts

The San Andreas Fault runs north/south through California and is

so near the surface in some places that you can stand on it.

T he magma deep in the center of the Earth does not stay there. Pressure

from below pushes it upwards over time. It comes up into the mantle

through cracks and thin spots. The main way that the magma is able to

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 9

 move towards the surface is due to the movement of
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tectonic plates. These plates are huge pieces of a solid

If you lived near

an active volcano,
material that float on the Earth’s interior like rafts
what might be
some good safety on a pond.
precautions to
discuss with your
family? Hint: Think Slow Collisions
about things that
you would want to As these plates move apart, the magma below
take with you in an
emergency escape.
them begins to rise, forming new crust. However,

when the plates happen to run into each other, one is

forced below the other one. The plate on the bottom

slides down into the hotter regions. Magma seeps

upward. If it reaches all the way to surface, it builds a

volcano. The magma flows—or explodes—out of the

earth. Then it is called lava.

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When the Earth Shakes

The edges of tectonic plates are jagged. If they run into each other

hard enough, they can create a very big jerk. Another name for this is

earthquake. San Francisco, California, suffered a terrible earthquake on

April 18, 1906. It happened at 5:12 A.M. along almost 300 miles (483 km)

of the San Andreas Fault. The quake and resulting fire is believed to have

led to the loss of thousands of lives.

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake left about 250,000 people—

some 2/3 of the city’s population—homeless.

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 11

 Not all magma that rises

towards the surface makes it

though. A lot is stuck a few miles

(kilometers) underneath the

Earth’s crust. If this magma hits

underground rainwater, it creates

steam. Sometimes this steam

builds up enough pressure to break

through, createing geysers such as

Old Faithful at Yellowstone National

Park. Sometimes the pressure is not

enough to create a geyser and just

Old Faithful is actually just one of more
than 10,000 hot springs and geysers in
Yellowstone National Park. forms a hot spring instead.

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 The enormous heat found underneath the
earning
surface of the Earth is known as geothermal. “Geo”
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Much of this heat
is the Greek word for earth. “Therme” means heat. becomes available
near the edges of
The word geothermal means earth heat. the ten tectonic
plates on the Earth.
How might we
Geothermal heat may be the planet’s best
harness this heat
energy?
option for a source of reliable and clean energy. It

is completely natural and will almost never run

out. It has been a part of the world’s history for

billions of years.

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 13

 CHAPTER THREE

Geothermal Heat
Throughout History

Many Roman baths had seats and steps down into the water around
the outside. Some even had wall niches for drinks and snacks.

T he idea of using the heat from deep inside the Earth is not a new one. In

Pompeii, ancient Romans used geothermal water to heat buildings. The

Romans also used the heated water to treat health problems such as eye and

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skin diseases. They liked to relax and take long baths in
21 st
Century
the hot springs, too. Hot springs were so important
C ontent
Native Americans
that wars were fought over lands containing them. are using their
creativity to make
Ancient Native Americans built their settlements use of the natural
resource of
geothermal energy.
around hot springs when they could. They used
Native people in
many other parts
the naturally heated water for cooking, warmth, of the world also
find ways to use
the energy from
and healing. They believed that the Great Spirit
the Earth.

lived there. The waters were so sacred that warring

tribes bathed there together in peace. Every major

hot spring in the United States was once a site of

Native American life. Today, Native Americans in

New Mexico and Nevada are developing geothermal

energy sites on their tribal lands.

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 15

 In Japan, communal or social

bathing is a tradition more than a

thousand years old. The baths are

more like places to relax than to get

clean. The hot water often comes from

underground hot springs. All bathers

are careful to scrub their bodies and

wash their hair before entering the hot

water. Today, the baths continue to

attract millions of visitors each year,

Japanese geothermal baths can and many of the baths have grown into
be outdoors or indoors. The baths
come in many sizes, and most
have very hot water. modern resorts and spas.

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 Finding the Hot Spots
21 st
Century
As time went on, geologists, engineers, and others C ontent
Experts estimate
began to realize that there truly was untapped energy that the amount of
heat within 33,000
just waiting below the Earth’s surface! They began feet (10,058
meters) of Earth’s
surface contains
searching for the “hot spots,” or places with the 50,000 times more
energy than all of
highest underground temperatures and the thinnest the oil and natural
gas reser ves in
the world! One
crust. In the United States, most of the hot spots are
day countries
that harness this
in California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, and Idaho. energy may share
it as Saudi Arabia,
Mexico, and other
Worldwide other major hot spots are in Iceland,
oil-producing
nations share their
Japan, and New Zealand. resources.

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 17

 Two Power Stations
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The ancient Romans used the geothermal waters

Geothermal areas
also usually have in the Tuscany region of Italy for bathing. Today, it is
nearby volcanoes,
and this is certainly the site of the Larderello Power Station, the world’s
true for both Italy
and New Zealand.
Scientists who
first geothermal power station. It opened in 1904 and
study volcanoes
are called is still in use.
volcanologists.
What are some of
The world’s second geothermal power plant was
the dangers they
might face in doing
their jobs? built in Wairekei, New Zealand, in 1958. It is also still

active today and provides more than four percent of

New Zealand’s electricity.

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 Iceland is a modern island nation in the northern
21 st
Century
Atlantic Ocean. People have lived there for more
C ontent
Iceland has more
than 1,200 years. During much of that time, they hot springs than
any other countr y
have used the geothermal energy that is plentiful. in the world.
Amazingly, Iceland
also has glaciers!
Today, Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik, is home to the
Because lava from
the countr y’s many
world’s largest and most powerful geothermal power active volcanoes
continually covers
the land, more
plant. The plant generates electricity as well as hot
than 60 percent
of Iceland’s land
water. Both help keep overall energy costs low. area is classified
as “wasteland.” To
find out more about
this unusual countr y,
go to http://www.
iceland.is/

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 19

 CHAPTER FOUR

Bringing Up the Heat

Geothermal energy can power electricity generation, and in cold

climates geothermal can be sent directly to homes to heat them.

T he deeper you drill into the Earth, the higher the temperature rises.

But how does this intense heat underground help people who live above

ground? One way is to generate electricity. Deep wells are drilled down to

20 21st CENTURY SKILLS LIBRARY

the hot water and heat. Next, these are piped to the
earning
surface. Their energy is used to power the generators
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Americans eat more
in electrical plants. In turn, this provides electricity to than 330 million
pounds (150 million
homes, schools, businesses, and other places. kg) of catfish ever y
year. Most of the
total is “farm-
Geothermal energy can also be used in
raised” catfish. The
next time you go to
agriculture. For example, some farmers in Japan and a restaurant, look
for that label on the
menu. Why might
the United States use the heated water in raising fish.
farm-raised catfish
be better for you
The heated water speeds up the animals’ growth. This than natural ones?

makes it possible for farmers to get their “crops” to

market sooner. Among the fish that are raised with

heated water are catfish, trout, and tilapia. Japanese

farmers even raise alligators this way!

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 21

 Other Uses

Geothermal water can provide greenhouses with heat during winter

months. The same heat can be used to dry onions or lumber, too. The hot

water itself is sometimes used to wash raw wool and pasteurize milk.

Farmers in Colorado use geothermal wells to heat tomato

greenhouses and to water the tomatoes, too.

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 In Klamath Falls, Oregon, geothermal heat is piped
21 st
Century
under roads and sidewalks during the winter to keep
C ontent
At least 70 countries
them from freezing over. Of course, geothermal water use geothermal
energy. The
supplies some spas and resorts around the world. United States’
largest geothermal
power station is
Heat Pumps The Geysers in
California. It began
Of course, one of the most important ways that as a health resort in
the 1850s. Today,
it creates enough
geothermal energy is used is in heat pumps. They keep
power to supply all
the homes in the
people warm in the winter and cool in the summer by California cities of
San Francisco and
Oakland.
either removing heat from the Earth and pumping it

inside or reversing the process. This option appeals to

many people. By the end of 2005, more than 600,000

geothermal heat pumps had been installed in the U.S.

Each year, another 50,000 to 60,000 are added.

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 23

 CHAPTER FIVE

Into the Future

Today, the world is only beginning to make use

of available geothermal resources.

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G eothermal sources today provide less than one ife
percent of America’s energy. However, this amount
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As geothermal
energy continues
of energy still equals 60 million barrels of oil a year.
to grow, people
will become more
In addition, geothermal energy is the third largest and more aware of
it. What are some
source of renewable energy in the country, and it is things you can do
to find out more
about geothermal
growing at approximately eight percent a year. The energy and how
you might use it?
U.S. Department of Energy wants geothermal energy

to provide up to ten percent of the electricity in the

western United States by 2020.

Possibilities for Today and Tomorrow

As the map shows, most geothermal resources

in America are in western states. Today almost all

geothermal energy production is in the state of

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 25

 Good
Fair
Poor
None

Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Idaho,

and Oregon have large geothermal energy resources.

California. There are plants near Los Angeles and north of San Francisco.

Smaller plants are found in Nevada and Utah. However, states such

as Indiana, Florida, and North Dakota are out of luck. They have few

geothermal resources to draw on.

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The Positive Side
earning
Geothermal energy is a wonderful choice in
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The sun is also
many ways, such as being an infinite power source. an infinite power
source that is now
Geothermal energy is also clean because no fuels becoming more
widely used. You
may even have
are burned to manufacture its steam power, and its a solar powered
machine, such as a
plants do not need much land because they sit right pocket calculator,
in your home
already. Why
on top of their fuel source. Nor can the plants create
would electrical
production with
environmental disasters such as oil spills. Finally, solar power
be a better idea in
San Antonio, Texas,
geothermal plants are reliable and can run 24 hours a
than in London,
England? Hint:
day, seven days a week. Think about the
climate.

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 27

 The Negative Side
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However, no energy source is completely free

Since geothermal
energy use is still of problems, geothermal energy included. Some
relatively rare, it
is sometimes fairly environmentalists say that when steam is brought
expensive to build
plants that use it.
How might the
up from below the Earth it also brings toxic minerals.
development of
more geothermal They worry that these minerals will eventually reach
energy sources help
solve this problem?
nearby streams, rivers, and lakes. Other people say

that geothermal plants create noise pollution. The

sound of pumping up the water and steam is so loud

that it is often heard several miles away.

28 21st CENTURY SKILLS LIBRARY

 Despite a few problems, many scientists agree that geothermal energy

is a positive way to create more power in the future. Certainly, as the

world’s population continues to grow, so will its energy needs.

The major energy sources of coal, oil, and natural gas have limitations

including cost, availability, and pollution. Geothermal energy comes

ready-made, right from the ground! With sufficient effort, let’s all hope the

issues of possible water pollution and too much noise can be solved.

More than half the population of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland,

gets its energy from geothermal plants.

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 29

 Glossary

communal (kuh-MYOON-l) used or shared in common with ever yone

in a group

core (kohr) central, innermost, portion of the Earth

crust (kruhst) outer layer of the Earth

earthquake (ERTH-kwayk) shaking of the Earth’s surface, usually along

fault lines

environmentalists (en-vahy-ruhn-MEN-tl-ists) experts on environmental

problems

geysers (GAHY-zers) fountains of hot water that erupt periodically from

the earth

infinite (IN-fuh-nit) having no boundaries or limits

lava (LAH-vuh) magma that has broken through the Earth’s surface

magma (MAG-muh) partially melted rocks in the Earth’s mantle

mantle (MAN-tl) middle layer of the Earth

molten (MOL-tuhn) heating of a solid substance until it melts

radioactive (rey-dee-oh-AK-tiv) material made up of atoms in which

radioactivity occurs

tectonic plates (tek-TON-ik pleyts) moving plates of the earth

30 21st CENTURY SKILLS LIBRARY

 For More Information:

Books

Gibson, Diane. Geothermal Power.

Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2004.

Graham, Ian. Energy Forever? Geothermal and Bio-Energy.

London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2001.

Morris, Neil. Geothermal Power. Mankato,

MN: Smart Apple Media, 2006.

Reynoldson, Fiona. Geothermals and Bio-Energy.

London: Hodder Wayland, 2005.

Savage, Lorraine. Geothermal Power. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006.

Sherman, Joseph. Geothermal Power.

Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 2006.

Other Media

To find out about all kinds of energy sources,

go to www.eia.doe.gov/kids

For more information about heat pumps go to

www.igshpa.okstate.edu

International Geothermal Association has a useful website at

http://iga.cnr.it/index.php

School handouts on geothermal energy can be found at

www.energyforkeeps.org

A good site to find out more about the earth’s mantle is

http://amos.indiana.edu/librar y/scripts/mantle.html

POWER UP! Geothermal Energy 31

 index

Arizona, 17, 26 Japan, 5, 16, 17, 21 Reykjavik, 29

Roman baths, 14–15
California, 11, 17, 23, 25, Larderello Power Station, 18 Romans, 14, 18
26 lava, 10, 19
coal, 29 London, 4, 7 San Andreas Fault, 11
Colorado, 26 San Francisco, 11, 25
magma, 7, 9–10
communal bathing, 16 Saudi Arabia, 17
mantle, 6
core, 7–8 Seattle, 5
Mexico, 17
crust, 5, 7 solar power, 27
Mexico City, 5 steam, 12
earthquakes, 11 molten rock, 6
Earth’s layers, 5–8, 17 Mt. Fuji, 5 tectonic plates, 10–11, 13
electricity, 20–21 Mt. Ranier, 5 Tokyo, 5
environmentalists, 28
Native Americans, 15 U.S. Department of Energy, 25
fish, 21 natural gas, 29 Utah, 26
Florida, 26 Nevada, 15, 17, 26
volcanoes, 5, 10, 18
New Mexico, 5, 26
geothermal energy, 18–19, volcanologists, 18
New Zealand, 17, 18
20–23, 24–29 North Dakota, 26 Yellowstone National Park, 12
geothermal waters, 12–15, nuclear power, 8
18
Geysers power station, 23 oil, 17, 29
greenhouses, 22 Old Faithful, 12
Oregon, 17, 23, 26
heat pumps, 23
hot springs, 12, 14–17, 19 pollution, 28
Pompeii, 14
Iceland, 17, 19, 29 population, 5, 29
Idaho, 17, 26 Popocatepetl, 5
Indiana, 26
infinite, 27 radioactive, 8
Italy, 18 renewable energy, 25

About the Author

Tamra Orr is a full-time writer and author
living in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest. She
loves her job because she learns more about
the world ever y single day and then turns that
information into pop quizzes for her patient
and tolerant children (ages 16, 13, and
10). She has written more than 80 nonfiction
books for people of all ages, so she never
runs out of material and is sure she’d be a
champion on Jeopardy!

32 21st CENTURY SKILLS LIBRARY

Great reserves of water heated to steam beneath the Earth’s crust may be a key
alternative energy sources for the 21st century. Look inside to explore this potential
source of worldwide energy.

The Power Up! series introduces readers to important concepts and information
needed to understand the quest energy and alternative energy sources in the
21st century. Other titles in the series include:

• Bio-Fuels • Hydroelectric Energy

• Electric Power Grid • Nuclear Energy
• Energy from Hydrogen • Searching for Oil
• Energy from Wind, Sun, and Tides

To guide your reading, look for these notes that will help build the understanding
and skills you’ll need in the 21st Century. Look for the following margin notes:

Learning and Innovation skills

You need to learn about lots of things, but you also need to learn how to
learn. These notes give you hints about how to use what you know in better
and more creative ways.

21 st Centur y Content
You study reading, math, science, and social studies. You also need to
learn about the world of work and your community. These notes tell you
about business and money. They also give you ideas about how you can
help yourself, your community, and the world.

Life and Career skills

These notes tell you about skills you will use throughout your life. They give
you ideas about how to work well with others, make good decisions, and
achieve your goals in life.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60279-044-5
ISBN-10: 1-60279-044-2

9 781602 790445