Image source: Reuters
I'm in one of the most famous volcanic regions in the world, northeast of Iceland, near Krafla volcano.
I can see, from a short distance, the edge of the crater lake. To the south I see steam rising and boiling lava.
Krafla volcano has erupted at least 30 times in the last thousand years. The last time was in the mid-eighties.
I accompany a team of international scientists who intend to drill into molten lava, or magma.
It is expected that experiments on the lava of the Krafla volcano will help in understanding the developments that occur in the magma underground.
This information, in turn, may help scientists predict volcanic eruptions, achieve an unprecedented achievement, and perhaps exploit the unlimited energy contained in volcanoes.
The team will begin its work in 2026 by creating a unique hole that allows scientists to observe magma underground at a depth of 2.1 kilometers.
“It's like a trip to the moon, it will change many things,” says Yann Laval, professor of volcanology at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and head of the scientific committee.
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Professor Laval believes that volcanic activity is usually monitored with devices such as a seismometer. Information is also available about lava on the Earth's surface, but "we do not know much about the magma found underground."
He adds: "We want to install devices in the magma that will allow us to measure the Earth's pulse."
To do this, pressure and temperature sensors will be placed on the melted rocks. “These are the two metrics we are looking for. We want to be able to know in advance what is going on in the magma.”
About 800 million people in the world live within 100 kilometers of dangerous active volcanoes. The researchers hope their work will help save lives and save money.
Iceland is home to 33 active volcanoes. It is located on the tectonic divide between Eurasia and North America. In the recent eruption, lava destroyed many facilities, turning people's lives upside down in the Grindavik region.
Scientists also point to the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which caused global unrest in 2010 when ash led to the cancellation of more than 100,000 flights and losses amounting to $3 billion.
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The team of scientists will use the second hole to experiment with a new technology based on generating energy from superheat in magma.
Professor Laval says: “Magma contains superior energy. It is the source of heat that drives hydrothermal systems and leads to the Earth’s heat. So why don’t we go to the source?”
65 percent of Iceland's electricity and 85 percent of its home heating comes from geothermal heat. Electricity generation depends on hot fluids underground to operate engines.
At the bottom of the valley is the Karafla power station, which supplies 30,000 homes with hot water and electricity.
Bjarne Palsson, one of the research participants, says with a smile: “We want to dig down to the level of the magma, and maybe touch it a little.”
“The Earth’s heat source is located directly above the magma. We believe that the temperature there is between 500 and 600 degrees Celsius.”
It is difficult to reach magma underground. But Icelandic engineers made an unexpected discovery in 2009.
They intended to drill a hole 4.5 kilometers deep to extract superheated fluids. But the drilling suddenly stopped because they encountered magma.
Palson says: “We never expected to reach magma at a depth of 2.1 kilometers. Access to magma is rare, and has only happened here, in Kenya and Hawaii.”
The super thermometer indicated 452 degrees Celsius, while the temperature in the room was 900 degrees Celsius.
Video images show smoke and steam rising. Extreme heat and rust eventually destroyed the well.
Balson says that this well produced ten times more energy than the average production of wells in other regions.
He added that two of these wells provide the energy produced by the 22 wells in the power plant. “This is the idea that changes concepts.”
Today, there are 600 geothermal stations in the world. There are projects to build hundreds of them due to the increasing demand for low-carbon energy. The depth of these wells is 2.5 kilometers, and they can withstand temperatures of less than 350 degrees Celsius.
Private companies and researchers in many countries are working to access deep Earth heat, called superheated rock technology. Its temperature exceeds 400 degrees Celsius, at a depth of 5 to 15 kilometers.
Rosalind Archer, dean of Griffiths University in New Zealand, says that access to greater depth and greater heat reserves is "the great treasure."
She adds that the most promising aspect of the matter is the “high energy density.” Each of these holes can produce 5 to 10 times more energy than standard ground energy wells.
She says, "New Zealand, Japan, and Mexico are all thinking about these projects, but this team is the closest to starting drilling. It is not easy, and the start-up cost is not small."
Drilling in extremely harsh surroundings will be technically difficult and require special equipment. But Professor Laval believes it is possible. Extreme temperatures also exist in aircraft engines, in mining, and in the nuclear industry.
Sigrun Nana Karl Sutter, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Iceland, believes that we should "look for new materials that are more resistant to rust."
Her team works in the laboratory to test the materials’ resistance to extreme heat, pressure, and corrosion-causing gases. She says that geothermal wells are usually built with carbon steel, but it loses its rigidity once the temperature reaches 200 degrees Celsius.
“We focus on nickel and titanium alloy.”
“There are other risks that need to be taken into consideration when we dig into the ground, such as emitting toxic gases and causing earthquakes,” says Professor Archer. “But the geology of Iceland makes this unlikely.”
The work will take years, but it will enable us to predict volcanic activity and save us volcanic energy.
She adds, "Geothermal experts around the world are following this project. It is a project that may change the energy industry."
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