Geothermal energy is one of the great alternatives to fossil fuels. Let’s discover five energetic geothermal energy facts for kids.
Geothermal energy is created from the heat of the Earth’s core. Geothermal generators create energy through steam from the Earth’s core which moves powered turbines. Because this energy is constantly created by the Earth it will not run out like fossil fuels will. Geothermal energy is also better for the planet because after the plant is set up the geothermal energy process causes no greenhouse gases. That means it is a good alternative to fossil fuels which can help prevent climate change.
Iceland is located over a rift in the tectonic plates which make up the Earth’s crust. This means there are many volcanoes in Iceland and that it is a great place to create geothermal energy. Around 90% of the homes in Iceland use geothermal heating and 90% of the energy used by Iceland is created with geothermal and hydro power.
The Ancient Romans loved baths but they couldn’t heat water using electricity like we do. So, how did they enjoy hot baths? They used hot springs from under the earth’s surface to make sure they could have heated baths whenever they wanted. They even used pipes through the walls and floors of their house filled with hot water from the hot springs to heat their homes. That system works the same way that radiators do to heat our homes today.
You can still visit hot springs today in places all over the world like Hungary, Japan, and England.
The only weakness of geothermal energy is that it cannot be created anywhere in the world. Only certain areas of the world are good places for geothermal energy plants. Most of the geothermal energy in the world is stored in an area called the ‘Ring of Fire’. This area which surrounds the Pacific Ocean contains 15 to 20 tectonic plates which all move around against one another. This is why there is so much geothermal energy accessible there.
Geothermal heating is a very efficient way of heating homes and even large buildings. Just like the ancient people in China and Rome we use geothermal energy in pipes and channels to heat up buildings. Even the huge St. Patrick’s cathedral in New York is heated using geothermal energy, that’s impressive!
We hope you enjoyed learning more things about geothermal energy as much as we loved teaching you about it. Now that you know how important this geothermal energy is to our planet Earth, you can move on to learn more about our environment like: Energy, Wind Power, Electricity and Hydro Power.
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