University of Canterbury
Fragments of volcanic glass from the Krafla magma chamber in Iceland
Almost 20 years ago, Iceland accidentally drilled a pocket of magma 2,100 meters deep. According to a recent study, the procedure could be used to obtain energy continuously.
In 2009, drilling in the Krafla geothermal fieldin Iceland, allowed a team of engineers to accidentally reach molten rock at a relatively shallow depth. More specifically, just at 2,100 meters.
The drilling debris contained fresh volcanic glassformed when magma is cooled rapidly by drilling fluids, offering a rare opportunity to study magma directly within the Earth’s crust.
The extracted material cooled and turned into volcanic glass in a very short space of time, providing an extremely valuable tool for science.
Now, one recently published in the magazine Nature reveals that this discovery opens the door to a virtually unlimited energy source.
Contrary to initial fears, drilling did not cause a disasterbut allowed access to a geological process which normally remains hidden. In fact, it allowed us to analyze the internal conditions of the Earth’s crust with an unprecedented level of detail.
“These fragments act as time capsules. Provide information about the pressure, temperature and gas composition of magma under active volcanic systems, explains volcanologist Ben Kennedy of the University of Canterbury in a University of Canterbury.
The analysis of these materials, developed together with researchers from the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, made it possible to reconstruct the way in which magma is stored and how it responds to human interventionssuch as drilling.
This knowledge is fundamental to improving models for predicting volcanic eruptions, explains .
In addition to scientific interest, the discovery reinforces the potential of high-temperature geothermal energy. Understanding how magma interacts with drilling holes opens the door to direct exploration of this resource as high-capacity, continuous power source.
According to Kennedy, the data shows that it may be feasible to safely drill magma chambers like the one at Krafla with the aim of developing facilities dedicated to harness this extreme heat as renewable energy. After all, it was possible to do so in 2009 without any setbacks.
“This type of science is really exciting and can capture children’s imagination. In my opinion, drilling a magma chamber is like going to the moon”, concludes Kennedy.
