Distribution of Natural Energy Resources
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fossil fuels/ˈfɒsl ˈfjuːəlz/ | Coal, oil and natural gas formed from ancient organic matter over millions of years. |
| Geothermal/ˌdʒiːəʊˈθɜːml/ | Energy obtained from heat inside the Earth. |
| Wind/wɪnd/ | Energy obtained from moving air, for example when a wind turbine converts its kinetic energy into electricity. |
| Solar/ˈsəʊlə/ | Energy obtained from radiation emitted by the Sun. |
| Hydropower/ˈhaɪdrəpaʊə/ | Hydropower |
| trade/treɪd/ | The exchange of goods and services between people, organisations or economies. |
Resources are not spread evenly
- Nature did not share energy resources equally.
- One country sits on huge oil fields; its neighbour has none.
- A desert has fierce sun; a cloudy island has little.
- Where a resource is found shapes who can use it.
Geology decides the fuels
- Fossil fuels 化石燃料 form only in special underground conditions.
- Oil and gas sit trapped in certain rock formations.
- Coal formed where ancient swamps were buried.
- Geothermal 地热能 energy needs volcanic hot rock near the surface.
Energy resources around the world are…
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Nature places resources unevenly — a country may be rich in oil but have little sunshine, or the reverse.
Climate decides sun and wind
- Solar 太阳能 power works best where skies are clear and sunny.
- Wind 风能 power works best on windy coasts and open plains.
- Hydropower 水力 needs rivers fed by rain and mountains.
- So climate and landscape decide where renewables pay off.
What does each resource depend on?
Sort each resource by whether its location depends on climate or on geology.
Geothermal energy is easiest to use in places with…
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Geothermal works best where volcanic activity brings hot rock close to the surface, like Iceland.
Because resources are unevenly spread, countries ____ energy with each other (buy and sell).
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Uneven distribution drives global energy trade — oil-rich nations sell to sun-poor, oil-poor ones.
Uneven resources drive trade
- No country has a perfect mix of every resource.
- So countries trade 贸易 energy — selling what they have, buying what they lack.
- Oil-rich nations export; sun-rich nations could export solar power.
- This uneven map shapes economies and even politics.
A sunny desert country has more solar potential than a cloudy northern one.
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Solar potential depends on sunlight, so sunny places have far more of it than cloudy ones.
Select all resources whose best location depends on geology.
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Oil, coal, and geothermal depend on the right rocks and geology. Wind depends on climate.
Two different reasons put a resource in a place. Fossil fuels and geothermal depend on geology — the right rocks, set down over millions of years. Solar, wind, and hydro depend on climate and landscape — sun, wind, and rivers. Ask which kind you're dealing with before predicting where it's found.
Iceland vs a desert:
- Iceland sits on a volcanic hotspot, so hot rock is near the surface — it runs on geothermal and hydro, but gets little winter sun.
- A tropical desert has fierce sunshine all year — huge solar potential — but no volcanoes and little water.
- Each uses what its geology and climate happen to offer.
Energy resources are spread unevenly across the world. Fossil fuels and geothermal energy depend on geology — the right rocks in the right place. Solar, wind, and hydropower depend on climate and landscape. Because no country has everything, uneven distribution drives global energy trade.