Geologic fundamentals of geothermal energy / Геологические основы геотермальной энергии

The heat or thermal energy of the Earth (geothermal) is enormous. It exceeds (by many orders of magnitude) the energy of all known resources of coal, oil, and natural gas (the fossil fuels). With such a tremendous energy resource, why are we still using fossil fuels? The answer is complex but basically boils down to this: Although the flow of heat from the Earth to the surface is continuous and steadfast, it is not uniformly distributed. Some regions are characterized by elevated heat flow, whereas in other areas the flow of energy is average or below average. To use Earth’s heat directly, such as for space heating, or indirectly in the generation of electrical power requires finding regions that have above-average heat flow. This unequal distribution of heat flow at the Earth’s surface is controlled by variable geologic environments and forces. In most places, the necessary geologic conditions are not adequate to concentrate the heat sufficiently for us to harness it for the benefit of society. In this way, geothermal resources are not unlike oil and gas plays or mineral deposits, as they are not found everywhere and require a special orchestration or convergence of geologic processes. The principal intent of this book is to explore those processes that help form geothermal resources. Studying geologic conditions and forces is central to finding potentially developable geothermal resources. These conditions and forces also strongly influence the type of geothermal facility that might be constructed to utilize a discovered resource <...>