Volcano Drilling in Iceland Opens Door to Volcano-Powered Electricity

“We could drill into the enormous heat from volcanoes to harness its energy for electricity,” a report from a geothermal borehole projected dubbed the Icelandic Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) stated.

According to the report, IDDP has been drilling shafts reaching up to 5000 m in attempt to harness the massive heat energy from the volcanic bedrocks deep into the surface of Iceland. However, as luck would have it, a pocket of magma was unexpectedly struck in 2009 after reaching only 2100 m in their borehole at Krafla in the northeast of Iceland.

The scientists measured high temperatures ranging from 900-1000 degrees Fahrenheit (over 450 degrees Celsius), compared to only 60-80 degrees Celsius from conventional geothermal energy sources.

Volcanic Geothermal Energy Potential

Unlike conventional geothermal energy which utilizes steam from natural sources such a geysers or drawing water from the super-hot depths of the Earth, volcanic geothermal energy utilizes heat from “supercritical water.”

Scientists have found that energy from supercritical water is much higher compared to that from conventional geothermal heat. Supercritical water is formed when water and molten rock meet, and the extreme heat and pressure transforms the state of water where it’s neither liquid nor gas.

According to researchers, volcanic geothermal energy could create up to 10 times more power output compared to conventional geothermal energy.

The heat from magma was found to be capable of generating about 36 MW of electrical power, which is considerably modest compared to the 660 MW generated from coal-fired power plants and more than half of current output from Krafla plant’s, which is 60 MW.

Future Alternative Energy Source

While the volcano drilling project on the Krafla plant has had its fair share of setbacks that limited harnessing of energy to full potential, IDDP in collaboration with other energy companies in Iceland are working towards making their next drilling operations much easier and more successful.

Research is expected to continue through 2018 in attempt to explore the full potential of volcanic thermal energy, especially as an alternative energy source.

According to Wilfred Elders, a geology professor at the University of California, the success of the drilling was amazing, to say the least. "This could possibly lead to a revolution in the energy efficiency of high-temperature geothermal projects in the near future.” he further added.

By drilling deeper boreholes, the IDDP are sure to harness more volcano energy in the future. The company, together with other energy companies in Iceland, has made a substantial investment to further investigate the underlying potential of these boreholes.

Hopefully, massive production of volcano-powered electricity will be made into a reality in the near future, especially considering that non-renewable energy sources are diminishing day by day.

The Aftermath of a Volcanic Eruption

When you stroll on the ground, you may be oblivious as to what lies under it. Yet during an earthquake, you would surely get a notion that something is going on under the earth you walk on. There is a lot of heat deep down inside the earth. The heat under the Earth's crust is most apparent when volcanoes erupt.

A lot of science books explain in detail the working of a volcanic eruption but what happens after the eruption? A volcanic eruption brings about many alterations in the overall surrounding. In all, this may either be helpful for the environment or disadvantageous. However, it is a natural disaster, and you cannot do anything to avoid its negative impacts.

Initially, it is the air that is affected by an eruption. All volcanoes may be different. While a few erupt with a great jolt, others may be quiet. With an eruption, a huge spell of gases fills the air. These gases (mainly includes carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methane) are expelled into the atmosphere. All of these gases elevate the likelihood of an acid rain. With the eruption, tiny rock particles may be splurged into the air which occupy the space that was to be taken by gas particles.

Eventually, the air around the volcano is thick and smothering. Moreover, they have the ability to travel over long distances which makes them capable of taking these heavy volcanic gases all around the globe. Likewise, the ash particles in the air cause breathing disturbances in individuals. These ash particles form a thick layer on the locations in the surrounding. When these meet water, they form a mud-like mass which is tough to remove.

Changes in the landscape around a volcano are immense. When magma flows down, it takes everything along with it such as the trees, plants, animals, buildings and roads which come in the stream of this lava are burnt. When this lava solidifies, a hard rock forms on the surface and if it rains after the eruption, the water and wind will result in weathering of this rock and this will eventually become a fertile soil.

Plants, animals and humans are also influenced by the eruption. However, humans and animals are capable of surviving the changes. The ash is tolerable until it is hot or it lies on the food. However, problem arrives when ash impedes water. The danger is not only done to the aquatic life, but also to other animals and humans as water is the necessary element they need to live. In all, a volcanic eruption does much damage to the whole ecosystem, yet luckily, neither does the eruption nor the effects of the volcano last long. Thus, it is not tough to survive after an eruption.

All you need to know about Volcanoes

The term volcano is a natural phenomenon that ruptures and happens majorly when the earth crust let’s hot lava or various gases escape from the magma down to the earth’s surface.

Most of these volcanoes tend to occur because the earth is divided by more than 10 tectonic plates, and it converges or divulge in this process volcano could erupt. Volcanoes that are not plate boundaries are known or termed to be mantle plumes, for reference in Hawaii the postulated rise from upwelling diapirs with magma from the core–mantle that is about 3,000-3500 km deep in the Earth. Volcanoes are do not erupt where there are two tectonic plates slide against one another.

Volcanoes pose a threat to living things around as it causes health and environmental pollution. The fumes and lava that gushes out of it is hazardous, and could cause skin reaction and harmful for breathing or inhalation. The process at which a volcano disturbs nature and it’s surrounding

• The ozone layer wears out
• There is a restriction on areas likely to have volcanic eruption.
• Reduction of the sun and depletion of heat radiation.
• Some kind of volcanoes could cause famine.
• Some extreme eruptions could cause the release of Sulfur acid from the sky.

The study of volcanoes are done by some group of person’s known as volcanologist. With study volcanoes are differentiated they are Active or Dormant Volcano.

Active Volcano

Study show the span at which point volcano erupts is estimated at months and in some cases could take years(thousand) for a single eruption. Given this kind of estimate and the span of human existence it could be the volcano is dormant but it is fully active. A volcano that is active can be said to be close to eruption when case of reoccurring minimal earthquake at a little magnitude is witnessed or emission of strange gases.

With various research scientifically a volcano is said to be active if it has erupted at least in the past ten thousand years, then it is considered an active volcano and most volcanoes can be seen in the Pacific ring fire.

Dormant Volcano

Although not much talked about but the dormant Volcano and the extinct one are almost same and could hardly be differentiated as they are both classified based on there inactivity. The dormant Volcano on this case was explained by scientists as a volcano that has long-lost record of eruption and it’s Magma has lost supply and also the environs are most likely encroached by humans without fear of a future eruption.

Some volcano eruption around the world

• Mount Yasur, 111 years
• Mount Etna, 109 years
• Stromboli, 108 years
• Santa Maria, 101 years
• Sangay 94 years

And some others in Asia and Australia.

Volcanoes are natural but also are hazards to mankind evolution has seen it’s destruction of lives and property even cities and towns are not left out an example of such case was the eruption of the Vesuvius volcano that claimed a Roman city(Pompeii) leaving it with lava filled. Keep off from volcanic areas at least 5 km off it to ensure a safe living and peace.