Earth Science Written Work 4: Module 8: "What's New"

Earth science
Written work 4
Module 8: “What’s New”
Activity 1: Exploration for Geothermal Sites
Figure 1.1. “The Hot Spring”
What I observe in the picture…
As we can all see in the image, Mt. Hengill has a hot spring. A hot spring is a natural source
of subsurface hot water and steam, these are used for flash-steam power plants. Water that
is hotter than 182° C (360° F) is pumped together into low-pressure area. Some of the
water "flashes," or rapidly evaporates, and is directed out to power a turbine and generate
electricity. The Hellisheidi power station obtains geothermal energy from Mt. Hengill,
which is transformed to electrical energy, and the station's production is largely delivered to
the aluminum refineries in Reykjavik, Iceland's capital city.
Figure 1.2. “Fumarole”
What I observer in the picture…
The picture shows fumaroles, an opening in or near a volcano, through which hot sulfurous
gases emerge, in short, they release steam. Since the steam and steam wells are geothermal
indicators, they can be converted to electrical energy. The gas chemistry of fumaroles and
wells allows us to determine whether high-temperature boiling, reservoir vapor, or both are
present.
Figure 1.3. “Volcano”
What I saw in the image is that the Taal volcano may be able to sustain or carry electrical
energy via volcanic lightning, which is an electrical discharge caused by a volcanic eruption
rather than a conventional thunderstorm. Geothermal energy, often known as geothermal
energy, is the use of heat from within the Earth to generate electricity. Geothermal energy
can be created in areas where lava is close to the surface. This is advantageous for increasing
the use of renewable energy sources.
Figure 1.4. “Geyser”
As seen in the photo, these are geysers. Geysers are a hot spring in which water
intermittently boils, sending a tall column of water and steam into the air. They can
produce electricity, but they aren't very consistent or long-lasting. They only produce for
3–4 minutes every few hours. A geothermal power plant is a much better option if you
reside in an area where geysers are common and want to set up a green energy source. It uses
the same underground heat source as the geysers, but it is significantly more robust and
dependable.
How would you describe the areas (site) in the picture? What feature is common in them?
• When a thermoelectric material is exposed to a temperature gradient — for example,
one end is heated while the other is cooled — electrons in that material begin to
flow from the hot end to the cold end, generating an electric current. Gases, water,
holes, smoke, and steam are characteristics that they all share.
Using your knowledge about earth’s endogenic process and plate tectonic theory, where can
we usually find the areas (sites) in the picture?
• Volcanoes are typically where the earth's endogenic process and plate tectonic theory
may be found. Endogenic processes are vital in volcanoes because heat from within
the earth causes pressure, which pushes up through weak regions in the crust, such as
plate borders or hot spots, causing volcanoes to erupt. According to plate tectonic
theory, volcanoes form along the boundaries of Earth's tectonic plates. These plates
are massive slabs of upper mantle and crust that fit together like puzzle pieces. The
plates occasionally collide or separate from one another. Volcanoes erupt most
frequently along these geologically active boundaries, and this is why they erupt.
What type of energy is present in the area?
• Geothermal energy can be obtained in areas where active volcanoes exist as well as
areas where dormant volcanoes exist. Subsurface magma heats groundwater,
producing steam and hot water. The warmer, less dense water rises through the
fissures and pores in the ground. When water reaches the surface, geysers, fumaroles,
hot springs, and mud pits develop.
What are the possible uses of this energy?
• Depending on the resource and technology employed, geothermal energy can be used
in a variety of ways. For example, geothermal heat pumps can be used to heat and
cool buildings, geothermal power plants can create electricity, and direct-use
applications can be used to heat structures. While geothermal power generation is
mostly concentrated in the western United States, these applications will help to
expand geothermal energy's geographic reach.
Based on your observation, why do you think they have the potential to be the site for
geothermal power plant? How do you say so?
• Geothermal power plants use subterranean heat trapped in rocks and groundwater to
power steam turbines that create energy. These power plants operate similarly to
fossil fuel and nuclear power plants; however, the heat source is different in this
situation, as volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, and fumaroles are present.
Do you think the country has potential to have geothermal power plant? Why or why not?
• According to study conducted by the Department of Energy, the Philippines has a
geothermal potential of 4500 MW. With several projects in the planning stages and
new tenders still to be won, geothermal stakeholders have huge opportunities to
profit from these markets. So yes, I think the country has a potential to have a
geothermal power plant.
Figure 1.5
Luzon Visayas Mindanao

Tiwi, Albay Palinpinon, Southern Mindanao, North
Negros Cotabato/Davao
Maikling Banahaw, Laguna Tongonan, Leyte
Bacon-Manito,
Albay/Sorsogon
Why do you think the Philippines has lot of volcanoes making most areas to be potential
for the use of geothermal energy of electricity?
• Because of its location along the Ring of Fire zone of Pacific volcanoes, the
Philippines is one of the world's top geothermal energy generators. By 2005,
geothermal energy has supplied 17.5 percent of the country's electricity.
Activity 2: Harnessing Geothermal Energy

What are the basic parts of a geothermal power plant to produce electricity?
• The major components of a geothermal power plant are the hot water, steam
turbine, generator, cooling tower, and injection well abatement system. Pipelines
transfer thermal energy in the form of pressurized steam from wells to power plants.
How does a geothermal power plant work?
• In geothermal power plants, steam is used to generate electricity. Hot water
reservoirs a few kilometers or more beneath the earth's surface generate the steam.
The steam turns a turbine, which turns a generator, which produces energy. The
three types are dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle geothermal power plants.
How does heat pump make a house warm during winter and cold during summer?
• When your heat pump is in cooling mode during the summer, it absorbs heat from
within your home and releases it into the outside air via refrigerant. While Heat
pumps work like an air conditioner in reverse during the winter. The refrigerant
collects heat from the outside air and transfers it to your home. Because heat pumps
use a little amount of power, they can significantly reduce the higher utility
expenditures associated with running a natural gas furnace.
Based on the activity, what are the ways to harness geothermal energy into usable form?
• Geothermal power plants generate steam from deep inside the Earth, which is
subsequently used to generate energy. Geothermal heat pumps, which utilize heat
from beneath the Earth's surface to heat water or provide heat to buildings, are also
available.
Figure 1.8 shows the different types of geothermal power plant with information in tabular
form. What type of power plant is shown in figure 1.6? How do you say so?
• It's a flash steam power plant because, as seen in the image, it has a tank (the flash
tank) before the turbine that no other power plants have. According to my research,
the purpose of a flash tank is to allow high-pressure condensate to flash and lower
pressurized steam, and figure 1.6 shows that it converts hot water to steam. As a
result, the Flash Steam Power Plant is the answer.
How does heat pump make a house warm during winter and cold during summer?
• When your heat pump is in the cooling mode during the summer, it uses refrigerant
to absorb heat from inside your home and releases it into the air outside. While
during the winter, heat pumps operate like an air conditioner in reverse. The
refrigerant absorbs heat from the air outside and uses it to warm your home. Since
heat pumps operate on a small amount of electricity, they can drastically cut down
on the higher utility bills that you'd typically have when operating a natural gas
furnace.
Module 9: “What I Can Do”

What I Have Learned
How is water distributed on Earth?
• The distribution of water on the Earth's surface is quite unequal. Fresh water
accounts for only 3% of the water on the planet's surface; the remaining 97 percent
is in the ocean. Freshwater is found 69 percent of the time in glaciers, 30 percent of
the time underground, and less than 1 percent of the time in lakes, rivers, and
swamps.
How is groundwater related to surface water?
• Almost every surface water feature interacts with groundwater. Surface water bodies
can receive water from groundwater or serve as a recharge source for groundwater. As
a result, water withdrawal from streams and rivers can deplete groundwater, while
groundwater pumping can decrease water in streams, rivers, lakes, marshes, and
springs.
As grade 11 student, what should you do to take care of our water resources?
• Hazardous waste should not be discarded on the ground. It has the potential to
contaminate soil, hence affecting groundwater or near-surface water. Motor oil,
insecticides, residual paints or paint cans, mothballs, flea collars, home cleaners, and
many hazardous wastes include dangerous or deadly substances that can contaminate
ground or surface waterways.
Make a slogan with the theme, “Water as a universal need.”
Water is like magic

A truly wonderful thing we must
keep
Take care of it and it will keep us
alive
We must preserve it since it’s a
universal need

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Earth Science Written Work 4: Module 8: "What's New"

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Earth science

Luzon Visayas Mindanao

Activity 2: Harnessing Geothermal Energy

Module 9: “What I Can Do”

Water is like magic

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