Geo Energy

The human population is currently using up its fossil fuel supplies at

staggering rates. Before long we will be forced to turn somewhere else for

energy. There are many possibilities such as hydroelectric energy, nuclear

energy, wind energy, solar energy and geothermal energy to name a few. Each one

of these choices has its pros and cons. Hydroelectric power tends to upset the

ecosystems in rivers and lakes. It affects the fish and wild life population.

Nuclear energy is a very controversial subject. Although it produces high

quantities of power with relative efficiency, it is very hard to dispose of the

waste. While wind and solar power have no waste products, they require enormous

amounts of land to produce any large amounts of energy. I believe that

geothermal energy may be an alternative source of energy in the future. There

are many things that we must take into consideration before geothermal energy

can be a possibility for a human resource. I will be discussing some of these

issues, questions, and problems.

In the beginning when the solar system was young, the earth was still

forming, things were very different. A great mass of elements swirled around a

dense core in the middle. As time went on the accumulation elements with

similar physical properties into hot bodies caused a slow formation of a

crystalline barrier around the denser core. Hot bodies consisting of iron were

attracted to the core with greater force because they were more dense. These

hot bodies sunk into and became part of the constantly growing core. Less dense

elements were pushed towards the surface and began to form the crust. The early

crust or crystalline barrier consisted of ultra basic, basic, calc-alkaline, and

granite. The early crust was very thin because the core was extremely hot. It

is estimated that the mantel e 200 to 300 degrees Celsius warmer than it is

today. As the core cooled through volcanism the crust became thicker and cooler.

The earth is made up of four basic layers, the