Geothermal water is heated by energy from the earth and can be used to generate electricity or as space heating. There are two types of geothermal water tanks: low and high temperature. Different power plants convert geothermal water into electricity. Geothermal features like hot springs, geysers, fumaroles, and mudpots form around volcanic activity.
Geothermal water is ground water heated by energy from the earth. The term geothermal comes from two Greek words: geo, which means earth, and therme, which means heat. By harnessing the physical properties of steam and heat, geothermal water can be used to generate electricity. If the water is hot enough, it can be pumped directly to the radiators and used as space heating. Some areas even bottle it and sell it as drinking water.
Geothermal water tanks are found in places where the earth’s heat is close enough to the surface that water or steam can reach the top. There are two types of geothermal water tanks: low temperature tanks and high temperature tanks. Low-temperature tanks hold water that is below 302°F (150°C). High-temperature tanks contain water above 302°F (150°C). The deeper the tank is in the earth, the hotter the water it contains.
Different types of power plants have been created to convert geothermal water into electricity. Dry steam power plants use steam from the ground to spin the blades in the power plant turbine. Flash-steam power plants use high-pressure pipes to bring hot water to the surface. Once at the surface, the water is then converted into steam and used to generate electricity. A binary cycle power plant uses lower temperature water to vaporize a separate fluid which is then used to produce electricity.
Geothermal water reaches the surface in various ways. Hot springs are produced when the reservoir is connected to the surface by faults. Geysers are periodic eruptions of steam that can shoot up to 200 feet (60.96 m) into the air. A fumarole is an opening in the earth that gives off a mixture of steam and gas. These geothermal features usually form around volcanic activity.
Mudpots are a type of hot spring or fumarole. Mudpots are pools of bubbling mud rather than water. If the reservoir doesn’t have much water, what little water reaches the surface is mixed with soil filled with volcanic ash, clay, and other components. This produces mud which is usually white or gray in color. When the mud is multi-colored, it’s called a paint pot.
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