Energy source in the context of "Tropical storms"

A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task, and proto-typically refers to solid hand-operated non-biological objects with a single broad purpose that lack multiple functions, unlike machines or computers. Although human beings are proportionally most active in using and making tools in the animal kingdom, as use of stone tools dates back hundreds of millennia, and also in using tools to make other tools, many animals have demonstrated tool use in both instances.

Early human tools, made of such materials as stone, bone, and wood, were used for the preparation of food, hunting, the manufacture of weapons, and the working of materials to produce clothing and useful artifacts and crafts such as pottery, along with the construction of housing, businesses, infrastructure, and transportation. The development of metalworking made additional types of tools possible. Harnessing energy sources, such as animal power, wind, or steam, allowed increasingly complex tools to produce an even larger range of items, with the Industrial Revolution marking an inflection point in the use of tools. The introduction of widespread automation in the 19th and 20th centuries allowed tools to operate with minimal human supervision, further increasing the productivity of human labor.

A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its location and strength, a tropical cyclone is called a hurricane (/ˈhʌrɪkən, -keɪn/), typhoon (/taɪˈfuːn/), tropical storm, cyclonic storm, tropical depression, or simply cyclone. A hurricane is a strong tropical cyclone that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean or northeastern Pacific Ocean. A typhoon is the same thing which occurs in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. In the Indian Ocean and South Pacific, comparable storms are referred to as "tropical cyclones". In modern times, on average around 80 to 90 named tropical cyclones form each year around the world, over half of which develop hurricane-force winds of 65 kn (120 km/h; 75 mph) or more.

Tropical cyclones typically form over large bodies of relatively warm water. They derive their energy through the evaporation of water from the ocean surface, which ultimately condenses into clouds and rain when moist air rises and cools to saturation. This energy source differs from that of mid-latitude cyclonic storms, such as nor'easters and European windstorms, which are powered primarily by horizontal temperature contrasts. Tropical cyclones are typically between 100 and 2,000 km (62 and 1,243 mi) in diameter. The strong rotating winds of a tropical cyclone are a result of the conservation of angular momentum imparted by the Earth's rotation as air flows inwards toward the axis of rotation. As a result, cyclones rarely form within 5° of the equator. South Atlantic tropical cyclones are very rare due to consistently strong wind shear and a weak Intertropical Convergence Zone. In contrast, the African easterly jet and areas of atmospheric instability give rise to cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Energy consumption is the amount of energy used. In physics, energy consumption refers to the transformation of energy from one form to another, rather than its complete disappearance. According to the law of conservation of energy, energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted. For instance, when a light bulb "consumes" electricity, it is not destroying the electrical energy but rather converting it into light and heat. Similarly, a car "consumes" gasoline by converting its chemical energy into kinetic energy (motion) and heat. Understanding energy consumption is crucial for analyzing the efficiency of various systems and processes, as the ultimate goal is often to minimize the conversion of useful energy into less desirable forms, such as waste heat.

From a societal and economic perspective, "energy consumption" often refers to the use of energy resources by human civilization to power homes, industries, transportation, and other activities. This typically involves drawing upon various primary energy sources, including fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), nuclear power, and renewable sources (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal). The scale and patterns of this consumption have significant implications for environmental sustainability, economic development, and geopolitical stability. Analyzing trends in global and regional energy consumption helps policymakers and researchers understand resource availability, greenhouse gas emissions, and the potential for transitioning to more sustainable energy systems.

Geothermal power in Iceland refers to the use of geothermal energy in Iceland for electricity generation.

Iceland's uniquely active geology has led to natural conditions especially suitable for harnessing geothermal energy. Icelanders have long used geothermal energy for direct applications, such as heating homes and baths. The more recent, widespread adoption of geothermal energy as an energy source in Iceland was spawned by a need to stabilize energy prices and increase energy independence, allowing Iceland to increase reliance on geothermal energy for direct applications alongside electricity generation and contributing significantly to diminishing Iceland's carbon footprint.