What is Direct Geothermal Energy?
Geothermal energy has been in use for more than two thousand years. However, till recently, the scale of application of this source of energy has been limited. Geothermal energy is harnessed more for direct use than as a source of electricity. Geothermal energy, in simple parlance, refers to energy that is derived from the earths heat. Broadly speaking, the earth is divided into three layers: the core, the mantle and the crust. The innermost part of the earth is the core, while the most of the earth is made up of the mantle. The mantle reaches temperatures of over 1000 degrees Celsius and the topmost layer of the mantle is made up of sizzling magma. The outermost layer of the earth, the crust, is very thin. At places, the magma manages to break through the thin crust, causing volcanoes. At other places, hot water can escape through the crack in the earths crust to form hot springs and geysers.
