Geothermal Energy From Basic Sciences Perspective: Türkiye's Potential and Contribution to the Economy

Science begins with physics from the moment of the Big Bang, and then with chemistry and geology. Geology science is closely interested in the tectonic and volcanic activities that occur on the planet Earth and its products. In the process that started with the big bang, geology science is extremely important in the formation and understanding of the earth. However, population growth on a global scale, rising living standards with modernization, and ongoing industrialization directly increases the energy demand and triggers the search for alternative energy sources. Fossil fuels meet the majority of energy needs worldwide. The fact that fossil fuels pose a risk to the environment and will run out soon has shown that renewable energy sources should replace fossil fuels in the future. In addition, as stated in the Paris Agreement, we need to avoid carbon-based energy sources to keep the global temperature rise below 2°C. If it is evaluated in terms of both regional and national development, one of the most important products of tectonism and volcanism is geothermal. Geothermal energy is one of the renewable energy sources and is a natural resource that can be utilized directly or by converting to other types of energy. The use of geothermal energy for different purposes such as electricity, home heating, greenhouse cultivation, thermal tourism, fishing, and road heating has become common in many countries, as of 2022, the direct contribution of geothermal applications to the Turkish economy is around 4 billion USD annually. the economic size can reach 15 billion USD annually if the potential is used after new geothermal applications and investments. In addition, the direct and indirect employment to be created by geothermal energy will be approximately 450,000 people. In summary, this study embodies the relationship between basic sciences and geothermal energy and reveals how to benefit from basic sciences in order to reach geothermal energy resources and make them sustainable.