Volcanoes
are cool, but limitless energy from Volcanoes is good.
Generally speaking when I come across a groundbreaking achievement, I’m going to qualify that as good news.
In Iceland, scientists have just unveiled plans to tunnel into the magma chamber of an underground volcano with the promise not only of directly sample magma (for the first time EVER) but also, make sure you are sitting down, to potentially unlock enough energy to power homes across Iceland with a renewable, limitless energy source.
Researchers envision harnessing the Earth's incredible heat from magma to revolutionize our energy landscape. The innovative tunnel, a pioneering venture, marks a significant leap toward sustainable and boundless power.
Geothermal energy. This has been associated with Iceland for quite a while, but obviously we are talking about a whole new scale here. How and why? Because unlike traditional geothermal plants, magma geothermal plants have "supercritical" water near the chamber. This water is so hot and so pressurized that it defies classification as either liquid or steam. And when harnessed it can produce at least ten times more power than its conventional counterparts.
Now aside from the obviously potential hazards that comes with dealing with MAGMA (2,372°F (1,300°C)), there are a few other issues. This volcano is 1-2 miles below the surface of Iceland, and the team is counting on some advances in land drilling technology so the drill bits don’t, um, melt. But those who know this industry (the drill bit industry) are not flustered. This looks eminently doable.
It really in an extraordinary quest and it brings with it the vision of a cleaner, greener future. There are shades of that movie “The Core” and some Jules Verne going on here, but at the very least it reminds you (and I) that with technology, ingenuity and determination, we can unlock hidden treasures for the benefit of generations to come.
That’s good.