engineering

National Geothermal Data System

National Geothermal Data System is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand National Geothermal Data System rather than just read about it. In short: The National Geothermal Data System (NGDS) is an American distributed data network that collects and provides public access to digital geothermal exploration and development information. Data includes borehole temperature measurements, geothermal gradients, active faults, and geochemical analyses.

Key takeaways

National Geothermal Data System belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect National Geothermal Data System to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of National Geothermal Data System from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The National Geothermal Data System (NGDS) is an American distributed data network that collects and provides public access to digital geothermal exploration and development information. Data includes borehole temperature measurements, geothermal gradients, active faults, and geochemical analyses.

History NGDS was initially funded by the United States Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Program (awards DE-EE0001120 and DE-EE002850), as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The National Geothermal Data System makes use of the large collection of hard copy documents stored in state geological survey archives. These documents include maps, field notes and well logs relevant to geothermal exploration and development. Some of the information was originally gathered for use by the oil industry. NGDS facilitates the digitization of this data, and ensures that data from various sources is stored in a compatible format to facilitate standardized search terms and geospatial analyses. Participating agencies maintain ownership and control of data they contribute. Once digitized, the NGDS provides free public access to the data by means of a distributed network of online databases, and also provide the public with free and open-source software with which to search and view the data.

Participating Agencies NGDS primary contributors include the United States Geological Survey, Southern Methodist University, and the Association of American State Geologists. Most agencies that contribute data to NGDS host their data on their own servers; some smaller agencies submit their data to contract-designated hubs, while still owning their data. NGDS hub states include Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky, and Nevada.

Participating agencies also submit metadata records to a central web-accessible catalog, describing the data that has been contributed to NGDS. Both NGDS data and the NGDS catalog can be accessed by common web browsers and web applications. NGDS data can also be accessed by geographic information system software applications including ArcGIS, UDig, QGIS, and GvSIG.

References

External links The NGDS Portal The USGS goethermal landing page The Southern Methodist University Geothermal Lab

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with National Geothermal Data System

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what National Geothermal Data System claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to National Geothermal Data System before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about National Geothermal Data System ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of National Geothermal Data System

In research: National Geothermal Data System appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses National Geothermal Data System in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: National Geothermal Data System is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Geothermal energy, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for National Geothermal Data System outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study National Geothermal Data System in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what National Geothermal Data System means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain National Geothermal Data System out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is National Geothermal Data System in simple terms?

Why does National Geothermal Data System matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study National Geothermal Data System?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on National Geothermal Data System.