Pexels Drilling into an active volcano could unlock new geothermal energy potential and help predict eruptions, scientists suggest. Iceland’s Krafla volcano has a magma chamber barely a mile below the surface, and as part of a new project, scientists will drill two holes just above the chamber, where temperatures reach beyond 600°C (1,100°F). Such high temperatures means one well there should provide 10 times more energy than a standard geothermal well; if the project scientists can show it is as effective as they believe, it could be copied in other volcanic areas, such as New Zealand, Mexico, and Japan, where magma is near the surface. The project will also enable scientists to closely monitor the magma and link its measurements to surface seismograph readings to better predict the volcano’s behavior. |