Al Gore’s Geology 101

Former Vice-President Al Gore has been making the rounds on the evening talk show circuit (again).

Speaking about geothermal energy, Mr. Gore insisted that one the temperature of the “interior of the earth” is “several million degrees,” and said that at a depth of 2km, we can drill and generate steam and turn turbines and generate electricity and everything.

Wow. Several million degrees. Now I finally get the whole global warming thing. It’s coming from underground.

We are happy to offer an Inconvenient Fact or two that might make this slightly more difficult:

1. The surface of the Sun is only 5,800°K.

2. The hottest section of the earth is at its core, where the temperature is NOT several million degrees, but estimated to be several thousand (5700°C).

3. At the boundary of the earth’s mantle, at a depth of 20-40 km, or 10 times deeper than Mr. Gore’s drill depth, the temperature of the earth’s crust is estimated to be about 200°C (392°F) to 400°C (752°F)

4. The temperature increases by as much as 30°C (about 50°F) for every kilometer locally in the upper part of the crust, but the geothermal gradient is smaller in deeper crust. Therefore, at the 2km depth alluded to by Mr. Gore, the temperature of the crust could be as little as 200°F. We need 212°F at sea level pressure to boil water to make steam.

5. There is only one place in our solar system where the temperature is “several million degrees.” That would be at the center of the SUN, where temps are estimated to be 13,600,000 °K.

It’s this type of exaggeration that undermines the credibility of Mr. Gore and his ilk. While we appreciate your enthusiasm for alternative energy sources, Mr. Gore, please check your facts before expounding. Or leave the science to the scientists.

Source for facts: Wikipedia