Re: WATER IS POURED INTO DEEP WELL IN EARTH, WILL IT TURN TO STEAM ?

Hello Harry,

You have posed a very interesting question. (I had a fun time thinking about the possibilities.) I suppose it would be possible to construct a "steam hole," but in reality, it would be expensive and problemsome to engineer. But your question is definitely related to something called GEOTHERMAL ENERGY, which is using the earth's heat for various purposes. There are two main usages of geothermal energy that are used today:

• GEYSERS: There is a good amount of water trapped in rocks below the surface of the earth. This water, of course, is very hot, and in certain locations comes to the surface as steam or hot water. Geysers, like Old Faithful at Yosemite Park, is an example of this. You can tap this energy capturing the water that comes out of the geysers, or drill into the ground where lots of water is present and extract it. This is similar in spirit to your "steam hole."
• GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMPS: A tubing is placed deep into the ground and water is circulated through it. The water in the tube exchanges heat with the ground surrounding the tube. This can be used to heat a house in the winter or cool a house in the summer.

If you are still curious (I hope so), I would suggest going to the local or school library and looking up GEOTHERMAL ENERGY in the encyclopedia and look for books on the same topic.

Your MAD Scientist,
Raymond Cheong