Does Geothermal Power Cause Earthquakes? | Popular Science

I'm not an expert, but from what I see, it doesn't seem much different, in theory. Drill a deep hole, pump high pressure water to form cracks in the rock, bring hot water up to warm house or run turbine.

Wouldn't both bring possible hydrocarbons into the water supply?

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

The geothermal is not done in hydrocarbon containing formations.
It normally uses granite formations that contain low levels of uranium, hence the heat. The water is heated by the formation, it does not frack the formation. Well at least that is the case on this side of the pond.

Fracking is drilling into formations such as coal & fracturing the formation to allow any hydrocarbon to be released. The type that is in question at the moment is normally shallow depth and can be close to ground water.

Conventional oil/gas wells into low porosity formations are "fracked" as well. This used to be called proving the well. Often with explosive charges to help the recovery rates.

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

A neighbor has a geo thermal. I went over when they were installing it and here what I can say. The GT system is a closed loop system. He has 2 375 ft deep loops for heating and cooling. All the glycol is the tube either heats or cools the house via a heat exchanger/air handler.

Fracing if I understand the process uses High pressure to "FRACTURE" the shale to release the gas.

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86 300SDL. 250,xxx on #14 Head. One eye always on temp gauge.. Cruising towards 300K

Interesting...but both seem to cause earthquakes, no?

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

While we do disagree on much, I can agree you are not an expert.
I did not read anything in the linked article about geothermal inducing hydrocarbons into the water supply.
The gist of the article was geothermal drilling causing earthquakes.
Fracking has been cited as a reson for earthquakes and the contamination of ground water supplies. I did not read of a connection between the two operations in the linked article.

I have always believed that earth quakes are caused by the movement of techtonic plates in the earth's crust.
If there was a very minor tremor as things settled after fracking, you could probably make a connection. A proper quake is unlikely.

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

Right off with an insult...how typical of you.

You didn't see the connection to earthquakes, really? Did you even read the article?

As for pollution from hydrocarbons, I know that larger Enhanced Geothermal plants contain systems to control the hydrocarbon release, but couldn't an earthquake from the fracking, which is done in this, cause possible issues for the plant's systems and release toxins?

I'm actually trying to understand the complete difference between this and fracking for natural gas.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Please go back and re- read my post. Are you still on those meds from the other night?

I've read articles that claim that localized earthquakes were caused during the fracking process of Enhanced Geothermal, and that when it was halted, the quaking stopped as well.

I don't know...I'm still reading on the subject. I was hoping someone could add a few more links for me to read.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

earthquakes are bush's fault

You've got that right.....

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The geothermal system you are talking about is different than the one referenced in this article. Home systems are indeed a closed loop. It is very similar to the refrigeration cycle on one's refrigerator or the A/C system in your car. It compresses a coolant and the resulting gas/liquid change causes heat at one end (condenser) and cooling at the other (evaporator). So one in a home can be run in the summer, by using the earth as the condenser taking the heat out of the home and then running backwards in the winter for heat compressing the coolant coming out of the Earth for heat.

The one in the article drills deeper into the Earth at locations of tectonic activity or other "hot spots" (think Iceland) to gather the Earth's heat (through magma) and turn it into electricity (usually, sometimes for heat itself). Thus the drilling is a bit different (larger scale than your neighbor's home) and since it is in a tectonically active area (usually) to begin with it probably wouldn't be too hard to link a connection to some Earthquake. activity.

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2009 ML320 Bluetec
1985 300CD
1981 300TD

Past Mercedes
1979 300TD
1982 300TD
2000 E320 4Matic Wagon
1998 E430
1984 300SD
1980 300SD

Forgive my confusion on your answer, but there's no need to be an a$$ about this...

I'm tired and the two seem very similar to me.

Ground water contamination seems to come from the ponds of used fracking fluids, from what I've read so far, as well as seeping hydrocarbons, as per some studies I've looked at.

I'm asking because at the recent borough council meeting, one of the local factories is proposing a study for enhanced geothermal drilling. We already have natural gas fracking going on to the north east of us, which is a highly debated topic...yet this didn't receive much debate.

I doubt it will happen, as I live in coal mining country, but they think they may be able to get to a safe depth, and still pull heat from the ground.

Enhanced geothermal and geothermal are new to me...

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Such as You and Me.

"Like","Desire","NEED": CLEAN, CLEAR DRINKING (Potable) WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Common Sense objection to "Fracking" is the "Roustabout" types that
use it ,USE SUCH TOXIC FLUIDS THAT IT POISONS THE DRINKING WATER!!!
[F**k the (Alleged) Earth Quakes,That's a "Red Herring"]
If I'm poisoned by the drinking water, who cares if the china breaks in 7.0 ???

The Oil and Gas companies that use this practice are spending MILLIONS in Public Advertising
(Spelled "Concealment")
So that they may use the process to SELL OUR NATURAL GAS ....
(WAIT FOR IT)...
OVERSEAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Geothermal heating/cooling is completely different.

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'84 300SD sold
124.128

Again I must agree you are one confused dude.
You should seriously consider taking a break from posting to the forum untill you are done with your current meds.