Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

The Earth's interior is extremely hot, and temperature increases progressively with depth. Where the geothermal gradient is high, these high temperatures occur at shallow depths. Groundwater present in such areas seeps down and comes into contact with hot rocks, absorbing their heat. This water becomes so hot that when it rises back to the Earth's surface, it converts into steam. This steam is then used to drive turbines, which generate electricity in geothermal power plants.

Source: Non-Conventional Sources of Energy, Chapter 5 — Geo Thermal Energy

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• The answer must follow the chain: Earth's internal heat → high geothermal gradient → groundwater absorbs heat from rocks → rises as steam → drives turbines.
• Examiners award marks for each link in the chain, so don't skip steps.
• Use textbook terms like "geothermal gradient" and "groundwater" for full marks.
• Avoid adding extra details not in the passage (e.g., plate tectonics) — stick to what's in the source.