geothermal
adjective
Did you know?
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
Adam Williams, New Atlas, 7 Mar. 2025
The Hill: Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Tuesday threw his support behind a vast expansion in geothermal energy.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 6 Mar. 2025
The shape reflects founder Steve Job’s vision for a workplace that inspires creativity and innovation.
▪ Sustainable and green: The campus is powered by 100% renewable energy, primarily from on-site solar panels and geothermal energy.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 24 Feb. 2025
Austria is using geothermal energy to heat homes to wean itself off Russian natural gas.
—German Lopez, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for geothermal
Cite this Entry
“Geothermal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geothermal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
geothermal
adjective
Share