Can you tell me if volcanoes have ever been used to make electricity
by heating water?
Colin
Johnston
Hi Colin,
Yes, all the time. I don't know how many countries are using geothermal energy
at the moment, but they include the US (both here in Hawai'i and on the mainland
in northern California), Iceland, Japan, Guatemala, New Zealand. I know there
are many more but I don't have them all in my head.
Geothermal energy is usually considered a "clean and renewable" resource, but it
may not quite be either. A lot of smelly steam is usually released into the
atmosphere by a geothermal plant. It is not clear whether this steam would be
released by the volcanic area anyway or if man has increased the output. In
northern California there is controversy over whether geothermal plants have
depleted the supply of hot groundwater and lowered the output of natural hot
springs and geysers. In Hawai'i there is a lot of concern about the (perhaps)
increased output of volcanic gases, about the destruction of rainforest to build
the geothermal plants, and about the reaction of Pele, goddess of volcanoes.
I hope this helps to answer your question.
Sincerely,
Scott Rowland, University of Hawaii
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