The KamLAND antineutrino detector is a vessel filled with scintillating mineral oil and lined with photomultiplier tubes (inset), the largest scintillation detector ever constructed, buried deep underground near Toyama, Japan.
Posted on 07/18/2011 1:51:51 PM PDT by Red Badger
A main source of the 44 trillion watts of heat that flows from the interior of the Earth is the decay of radioactive isotopes in the mantle and crust. Scientists using the KamLAND neutrino detector in Japan have measured how much heat is generated this way by capturing geoneutrinos released during radioactive decay.
The Earth has cooled since its formation, yet the decay of radiogenic isotopes, and in particular uranium, thorium and potassium, in the planet’s interior provides a continuing heat source. The current total heat flux from the Earth to space is 44.2±1.0 TW, but the relative contributions from residual primordial heat and radiogenic decay remain uncertain. However, radiogenic decay can be estimated from the flux of geoneutrinos, electrically neutral particles that are emitted during radioactive decay and can pass through the Earth virtually unaffected. Here we combine precise measurements of the geoneutrino flux from the Kamioka Liquid-Scintillator Antineutrino Detector, Japan, with existing measurements from the Borexino detector, Italy. We find that decay of uranium-238 and thorium-232 together contribute TW to Earth’s heat flux. The neutrinos emitted from the decay of potassium-40 are below the limits of detection in our experiments, but are known to contribute 4 TW. Taken together, our observations indicate that heat from radioactive decay contributes about half of Earth’s total heat flux. We therefore conclude that Earth’s primordial heat supply has not yet been exhausted.
The latest research from the Japan-based KamLAND collaboration, which uses neutrinos to track heat signatures from within the Earth, says that uranium 238 decay accounts for about eight terawatts of the planet's heat, thorium 232 gives us another eight, and potassium 40 another four. That still leaves more than half the planet's heat energy unaccounted for, including all the heat created in the core.
Lawrence Berkeley labs also worked with the Japanese
The KamLAND antineutrino detector is a vessel filled with scintillating mineral oil and lined with photomultiplier tubes (inset), the largest scintillation detector ever constructed, buried deep underground near Toyama, Japan.
No way!!! We all know that all of the heat of the earth is caused by capitalism! Al Gore and the democrats told us so!
Thus, the amount of energy claimed in this story to evolve from decay of uranium and thorium in Earth's interior is about 0.025% (one four-thousandth) of what we receive from the Sun.
According to all the enviro-whackos, ANY radiation is to much. We’re all doomed. I’m surprised anyone was able to get out of bed this morning.
Pffft! Everyone knows Keebler Elves are down there baking cookies and heating the core.
Whomever figure out a safe and cost-effective way to harness it will become very, very rich.
It SEEMS simple in theory: Drill a hole and put a pipe in it...pump water through the pipe...create steam etc.
Surely one would not have to drill deeper than 20 or 30 miles. Heck, even if 100 miles it seems achievable.
“watts of heat”? Watts up with that?
I guess that U25 is decaying as well, and that the 238/235 ratio is relatively stable.
Whomever figure out a safe and cost-effective way to harness it will become very, very rich.
............
Likely this has already been done.
People just haven’t figured out how to make the transition.
We’re talking about fracking. The drill down 6-8 thousand feet, then drill sideways, then pump a solution into the rock to crack it open to let the gas flow.
Same thing could be done for hot rock. only instead of bringing up gas and oil—they bring up hot water and steam or something that steams at a lower temperature.
“That still leaves more than half the planet’s heat energy unaccounted for, including all the heat created in the core.”
Everyone knows the cause is man-made global warming.
"Five major geothermal power plants exist in Iceland, which produce approximately 26.2% (2010)[1] of the nation's energy. In addition, geothermal heating meets the heating and hot water requirements of approximately 87% of all buildings in Iceland."
Shhhh! The ecowhackos will call for a boycott of cookies and ban elves next!
It doesn’t hurt that Iceland straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and is basically a volcanic island. Plenty of heat to tap.
The EPA’s not going to like that.
Capital below!...
Just enough to keep our toes from freezing at night... '-)
One word: VOLCANO...............
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