Geothermal energy
By Jackson Oves, Ashlyn Robinson and Mason doss
What is geothermal energy?
Geothermal energy is when water that is heated by the earth is moved through a tunnel past a turbine which produces electricity.
history of geothermal energy
The start of geothermal energy was started by the discovery of hot springs in 1807 in the area which is now Yellowstone national park. The hot springs were first used to fill bathtubs and they only costed a dollar. Some people called these hot springs the "gates to hell". In 1852 the first hotel called The Geysers Resort Hotel used the hot springs as a spa. In 1904 prince Pireo Ginori Conti was the first to harness the power of electricity powered by geysers. since then geothermal plants have popped up all over the globe except for Antarctica.
Geothermal power plant
This is a picture of a geothermal power plant. This shows the process of how hot water is moved through a turbine and produces energy.
Locations in the U.S.A
This map shows were the geothermal plants in America are. As you can see most plants are located in the western area. As you can also see there are no plants in North Carolina.
Environmental Concerns
The concerns about using Geothermal energy are mainly water contamination and pollution. Pollution mostly occurs in open loops systems, which can emit hydrogen sulfide, CO2, methane, and boron. Also, the hydrogen sulfide changes into sulfur dioxide once it enters the atmosphere which can cause heart disease, lung disease and acid rain. It also can create land subsidence and earth quakes.