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
Sean Kingsley, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
This geothermal wonderland is home to numerous volcanoes, geysers, smoking fumaroles, and hot springs.
—Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
The credit can apply to solar electric panels, solar water heaters, wind turbines, geothermal heat pumps, fuel cells and battery storage technology.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2025
Location Huka Lodge is on the edge of Taupō, a geothermal region in the center of the North Island known for its therapeutic hot springs and a vast lake the size of Singapore popular for watersports, sailing, trout fishing, and forest hikes.
—Kendall Hill, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Geothermal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geothermal. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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geothermal
adjective
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