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PhotoMediaSpotlight
Iceland'sGeothermalEnergy
HowdoesIcelandusegeothermalenergy?
Forthecompletephotoswithmediaresources,visit:
http://education.nationalgeographic.org/media/iceland-geothermal-plant/
Questions
LookatthephysicallandformsaroundtheNesjavellirgeothermalpowerplant.Howdothese
landformscontributetotheplacementofthegeothermalplant?
Geothermalresourcesarecommonlyfoundnearplateboundariesandvolcanoes,orin
mountainousterrain.
Inthephotos,itappearsthatsmokeisbeingforcedoutoftheventsinthepowerplant.What
materialisinthissmoke?
Theexhaustissteam.Steamisbeingreleasedintotheatmospherefromthelargeventsonthetop
oftheplant.Steam,whichiscomposedofwaterparticles,haslittleimpactonthesurroundingareas.
Icelandhassixgeothermalpowerplants.Whydoyouthinkthissmallislandhassomanyofthis
typeofpowerplant?
Geothermalactivityisfoundneartheboundariesoftectonicplates,wherecracksintheEarth’scrust
bringheatfromtheEarth’sinteriortothesurface.IcelandsitsontopofanactivepartoftheEarth’s
crust.
Whatdoyouthinkarethebenefitsofgeothermalpower?
Geothermalpowerisarenewableresourcebecausethereisaconstantflowofheatthatcanbe
extractedfromtheEarth.Geothermalpoweralsohasverylowemissionlevelsbecauseitdoesnot
requireburningfueltogenerateenergy.
FastFacts
Nesjavellirgeothermalpowerplantislocated30kilometerseastofReykjavik,Iceland.The
purposeoftheplantistocontributeenergytothenationalgridaswellasproducehotwaterfor
theReykjavikdistrictheatingsystem.
GeothermalenergyiscreatedbygatheringandextractingenergyfromtheEarth.Theword
geothermalcomesfromtheGreekwordgeomeaningearthandthememeaningheat.
Geothermalenergyisconsideredarenewableenergysourcebecauseheatiscontinuously
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beingproducedinsidetheEarth.
Amajorityofgeothermalresourcesareinregionswithactivevolcanoesorwhereplate
boundariesmerge.Geysers,hotsprings,poolsofboilingmud,andfumarolesarethemost
commonexamplesofgeothermalenergy.Theyarefoundinvariousplacesaroundtheworld.
Vocabulary
Term
electricity
geothermal
energy
landform
powerplant
steam
Partof
Speech
Definition
setofphysicalphenomenaassociatedwiththepresenceandflowof
electriccharge.
noun
heatenergygeneratedwithintheEarth.
noun
specificnaturalfeatureontheEarth'ssurface.
noun
industrialfacilityforthegenerationofelectricenergy.
noun
watervapor.
noun
Images
IcelandGeothermalPlantB
IcelandGeothermalPlantC
Worksheets&Handouts
NesjavellirPowerPlantBrochure
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