Question

In areas of enhanced heat flow, geothermal heating can be used to supply heating to homes, either by using ground water directly or by placing a water reservoir at depth. In Iceland, where the average temperature over the year is 4.6ºC, the geothermal flux can be as high as 300 mW m-2.

(a)

If you wanted to be able to supply a home with indoor temperature at 25ºC and water at a temperature of 55ºC, how deep would your reservoir need to be?

(b)

Why might Iceland have such a high geothermal flux compared to other areas?

(c)

Does high geothermal flux accelerate the melting of ice sheets, why or why not?

Answer 1

B)

Iceland is a country of most dynamic volcanic regions in the world. Covered by natural forces, straddling along Mid-Atlantic Ridge where beneath the ground there is activity of divergent tectonic plates which brings heat and magma closer to the earth´s surface. Iceland holds enormous geothermal resources by penetration of heat by convection and conduction through fractured and permeable rock. The volcanic rift zones in Iceland are composed by highly porous and unaltered lava and hyaloclastite formations in the uppermost 0.5-1.0 Km which contains numerous faults and open fractures.

C) According to my research on Melting ice sheet due to Geothermal heat flux

Yes geothermal heat flux (GHF) do accelerate the melting of ice sheet.

The Geothermal heat flux is the amount of heat moving outward from interior of Earth. It is primary cause by which Molten matter in core of Earth and Radio active decay in Earth. Heat comes through earth's interior below glacier but within the area there are many other glaciers connect to ice sheets. If the heat releases to a fjord (narrow inlet with steeps created by glacier), then heat also seeps up to the bottom part of glaciers. This all interpret that glaciers melt from below and so slide more easily over the terrain on which they lay over. Also it is a combination high temperature of the air and the sea precipitation from above, heat loss from beneath the earth and dynamics of ice sheet determines the acceleration of melting of ice sheets.

A)Not sure if this is a perfect answer for your question.

The temperatere at surface depends upon geothermal temperature gradient which is .

So in approximately we can get required in approximately in 200 - 250 m.