A Review on World Geothermal Assessment

전세계 지열부존량 평가에 대한 개관

Assessment of geothermal resources like other earth resources is a starting point for decision makers or stakeholders to set up basic plan on its development and R&D policies. In this context, there have been various works on world geothermal assessment, to report different estimates from each other. In this paper, we first introduce the definition of geothermal potential mainly adopted from the article by Muffler and Cataldi (1978) and then summarize the estimates made so far referring the work by Bertani (2003). An updated estimates by Stefansson (2005) are also reviewed in terms of identified resources separately for high-temperature resources for power generation and low-temperature ones for direct-use. Recent estimate of US geothermal resources by MIT (2006) using a volumetric method with extensively accumulated data base is discussed. Finally, we introduce the first geothermal assessment in Korea recently made and discuss its importance.