66-13 (I) WTF Series: Earthquakes vs Geothermal (Part 1 of 2)

(Gated) Volcanoes are the main source of geothermal energy. Compared to the normal geothermal gradient of about 25°C per km of depth in most of the world, when magma (i.e. molten rock generated at the interior) enters the crust, for example, as a shallow intrusion beneath a volcano, this normal gradient is perturbed locally as temperature rises around the intrusion. The extent and duration of such a thermal anomaly depend mostly on the temperature and volume of the intruded melt. The presence of hot magmas below the surface of active volcanic regions offers the prospect of harnessing a huge amount of geothermal energy. The geothermal energy is a renewable resource, as it exploits the abundant interior heat and water, which once used and cooled, is then piped back to the reservoir.