geothermal
adjective
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Geothermal comes partly from the Greek thermos, "hot". Most geothermal electricity is provided by power plants situated in areas where there is significant activity of the Earth's great tectonic plates—often the same areas where volcanoes are found. But hot water from deep underground may be used by cities far from volcanoes to heat buildings or sidewalks. And a newer source of geothermal energy relies on a less dramatic kind of heat: Individual homeowners can now install heat pumps that take advantage of the 50°-60° temperature of the soil near the surface to provide heating in cold weather (and air-conditioning in the warm months). These very small-scale geothermal systems may eventually supply more useful energy than the large power plants.
Examples of geothermal in a Sentence
Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Of course, these conditions are fairly rare, and as a result, geothermal currently supplies only around 0.3% of global energy consumption.
—New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2025
By 2050, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans for 50 to 60 percent of Japan’s electricity to come from renewables, including biomass, hydropower, geothermal, and offshore wind as well as solar—with a controversial increase in nuclear-power production filling in the gaps.
—Hannah Kirshner, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2025
Those include investments in clean energy within the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress in 2022, which include solar, wind and geothermal projects, as well as investments in electrification, which will greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while keeping costs low.
—Mohamaed Ibrahim, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Geothermal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geothermal. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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geothermal
adjective
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