Bell Ringer
Instructions: Answer the prompt provided by your teacher.
Vocabulary
Instructions: Watch the Science of Geothermal video and listen for the vocabulary words
| Word | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| plate boundary | noun phrase; the place on Earth’s surface where two tectonic plates, which are large pieces of Earth’s outer layer, meet and move | “At geological plate boundaries . . . the heat of the Earth’s interior comes very near the surface . . .” |
| hot spot | noun phrase; an area where magma, which is melted rock from beneath Earth’s surface, rises through the crust to form volcanoes, islands, or hot springs (like Yellowstone). | “At . . . geological hot spots . . . the heat of the Earth’s interior comes very near the surface . . .” |
| superheat | verb; to heat a liquid above its boiling point without it turning into vapor | “. . . the heat of the Earth’s interior comes very near the surface and it superheats the groundwater.” |
| groundwater | noun; water found underground in soil and rock layers | “. . . the heat of the Earth’s interior comes very near the surface and it superheats the groundwater.” |
| radiator | noun; a device that gives off heat from hot water or steam to warm a space | “We can drill wells to tap into this hot water and steam, which can then be circulated into people’s homes through simple radiators.” |
| turbine | noun; a machine that spins when water, air, or steam flows through it to generate electricity | “[Hot water and steam] can be used to drive steam turbines similar to those in other kinds of power plants to make electricity.” |
| hydraulically fractured | verb phrase; when rock deep underground is cracked open by fluid pumped in under high pressure | “Vertical wells are drilled and hydraulically fractured, much like an oil and gas well.” |
| experimental | adjective; describes a technology or process that is still being tested and studied | “ . . . . but today, it’s experimental and therefore expensive for the amount of energy that it returns.” |
| trenches | noun; long, narrow ditches dug into the ground for pipes, cables, or equipment | “ . . . we bury a long closed loop of pipe either in trenches or vertically to as little as 200 feet . . .” |
| conventional | adjective; describes a method or technology that is widely used and well-established | “These systems are twice as expensive to install as conventional heating and cooling . . .” |
| emissions | noun; pollutants or gases released into the air, usually from vehicles or power plants | “. . . but they’re cheaper to operate, longer lasting, and produce fewer emissions.” |
Quiz
Instructions: Circle the correct answer based on what you learned in the Science of Geothermal video.
Q1. Which location provides the rarest – but most powerful – source of geothermal energy?
- geologic plate boundaries
- deep underground water heated by magma
- artificially fractured rock (enhanced geothermal systems)
- vertical wells drilled into hot rock
Q2. How is hot water from geothermal energy systems delivered to homes for heating?
- by tank trucks
- through water processing plants
- underground through pipelines
- by large ships and planes
Q3. How can heat from hot rock beneath the Earth’s surface be used to provide geothermal energy?
- by drilling wells into hot rock and creating fractures so water can flow through
- by pumping water into fractured rock so it becomes heated
- By using naturally heated underground water to generate electricity
- all of the above
Q4. Geothermal heat pumps cost more to install than conventional heating and cooling systems, but they are usually
- cheaper to operate
- longer lasting
- lower in emissions
- all of the above