Volcano power: Icelandic scientist plan to drill down to magma
I'm in one of the world's volcanic hotspots, northeast Iceland, near the Krafla volcano.A short distance away I can see the rim of the volcano's crater lake, while to the south steam vents and mud pools bubble away.Krafla has erupted around 30 times in the last 1,000 years, and most recently in the mid-1980s.Bjorn Por Guðmundsson leads me to a grassy hillside. He is running a team of international scientists who plan to drill into Krafla's magma.'We're standing on the spot where we are going to drill,' he says.The Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) intends to advance the understanding of how magma, or molten rock, behaves underground. That knowledge could help scientists forecast the risk of eruptions and push geothermal energy to new frontiers, by tapping into an extremely hot and potentially limitless source of volcano power.
Starting in 2026 the KMT team will begin drilling the first of two boreholes to create a unique underground magma observatory, around 2.1km (1.3 miles) under the ground.'It's like our moonshot. It's going to transform a lot of things,' says Yan Lavelle, a professor of vulcanology at the Ludvigs-Maximllian University in Munich, and who heads KMT's science committee.Volcanic activity is usually monitored by tools like seismometers. But unlike lava on the surface, we don't know very much about the magma below ground, explains Prof Lavelle.'We'd like to instrument the magma so we can really listen to the pulse of the earth,' he adds.Pressure and temperature sensors will be placed into the molten rock. 'These are the two key parameters we need to probe, to be able to tell ahead of time what's happening to the magma," he says.
Around the world an estimated 800 million people live within 100km of hazardous active volcanoes. The researchers hope their work can help save lives and money.Iceland has 33 active volcano systems, and sits on the rift where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pull apart.Most recently, a wave of eight eruptions in the Reykanes peninsula has damaged infrastructure and upended lives in the community of Grindavik.Mr Guðmundsson also points to Eyjafjallajökull, which caused havoc in 2010 when an ash cloud caused over 100,000 flight cancellations, costing £3bn ($3.95bn).'If we'd been better able to predict that eruption, it could have saved a lot of money,' he says.
KMT's second borehole will develop a test-bed for a new generation of geothermal power stations, which exploit magma's extreme temperature.'Magma are extremely energetic. They are the heat source that power the hydrothermal systems that leads to geothermal energy. Why not go to the source?' asks Prof Lavelle.Some 65% of Iceland's electricity and 85% of household heating, comes from geothermal, which taps hot fluids deep underground, as a source of heat to drive turbines and generate electricity.In the valley below, the Krafla power plant supplies hot water and electricity to about 30,000 homes.'The plan is to drill just short of the magma itself, possibly poke it a little bit,' says Bjarni Pálsson with a wry smile."The geothermal resource is located just above the magma body, and we believe that is around 500-600C,' says Mr Pálsson, the executive director of geothermal development at national power provider, Landsvirkjun.
Magma is very hard to locate underground, but in 2009 Icelandic engineers made a chance discovery.They had planned to make a 4.5km deep borehole and extract extremely hot fluids, but the drill abruptly stopped as it intercepted surprisingly shallow magma.'We were absolutely not expecting to hit magma at only 2.1km depth,' says Mr Pálsson.Encountering magma is rare and has only happened here, Kenya and Hawaii.Superheated steam measuring a recording-breaking 452°C shot up, while the chamber was an estimated 900°C.Dramatic video shows billowing smoke and steam. Acute heat and corrosion eventually destroyed the well.'This well produced about 10 times more [energy] than the average well in this location,' says Mr Pálsson. Just two of these could supply the same energy as the power plant's 22 wells, he notes. 'There is an obvious game changer.'
More than 600 geothermal power plants are found worldwide, and hundreds more are planned, amid growing demand for round-the-clock low carbon energy. These wells are typically around 2.5km deep, and handle temperatures below 350°C.Private companies and research teams in several countries are also working towards more advanced and ultra-deep geothermal, called super-hot rock, where temperatures exceed 400°C at depths of 5 to 15km.Reaching deeper and much hotter, heat reserves is the "Holy Grail", says Rosalind Archer, the dean of Griffith University, and former director of the Geothermal Institute in New Zealand.It's the higher energy density that's so promising, she explains, as each borehole can produce five to 10 times more power than standard geothermal wells.'You've got New Zealand, Japan and Mexico all looking, but KMT is the closest one to getting drill bit in the ground,' she says. 'It's not easy and it's not necessarily cheap to get started.'
Drilling into this extreme environment will be technically challenging, and requires special materials.Prof Lavelle is confident it's possible. Extreme temperatures are also found in jet engines, metallurgy and the nuclear industry, he says.'We have to explore new materials and more corrosion resistant alloys,' says Sigrun Nanna Karlsdottir, a professor of industrial and mechanical engineering at the University of Iceland.Inside a lab, her team of researchers are testing materials to withstand extreme heat, pressure and corrosive gases. Geothermal wells are usually constructed with carbon steel, she explains, but that quickly loses strength when temperatures exceed 200°C.'We're focusing on high grade nickel alloys and also titanium alloys,' she says.
Drilling into volcanic magma sounds potentially risky, but Mr Guðmundsson thinks otherwise.'We don't believe that sticking a needle into a huge magma chamber is going to create an explosive effect,' he asserts.'This happened in 2009, and they found out that they'd probably done this before without even knowing it. We believe it's safe.'Other risks also need to be considered when drilling into the earth like toxic gases and causing earthquakes, says Prof Archer. 'But the geological environment in Iceland makes that very unlikely.'The work will take years, but could bring advanced forecasting and supercharged volcano power.'I think the whole geothermal world are watching the KMT project,' says Prof Archer. 'It is potentially quite transformative.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
12-05-2025
- Powys County Times
Warning over low funding to tackle invasive species damaging British wildlife
Less than 1% of the Government's biosecurity budget goes on invasive species, despite the danger they pose to British wildlife, figures suggest. Conservationists warned the funding to tackle non-native plants and animals was failing to match the risk they posed to 'cherished' native species from water voles to ladybirds, as well as to waterways, homes, businesses and local green spaces. They have called for more resources for border checks to stop non-native species arriving here, and funding for local groups to tackle the problem on the ground. A freedom of information request to the Animal and Plant Health Agency by Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL) shows only £2.47 million of the estimated £250 million biosecurity budget was going to tackling invasive species. And just £250,000 of that was being channelled to local groups tackling non-native species on the ground – which range from Himalayan balsam and floating pennywort choking waterways to rhododendrons and giant blackberries strangling woodlands and grasslands, conservationists said. The figures also show £22.7 million of the wider biodiversity budget – around 3% of the spend on protecting important habitats and species – was spent on tackling invasive species. This funding is thought to be going towards areas such as tree disease ash dieback and Asian or yellow-legged hornets which pose a huge threat to honeybees and other insects, WCL said. Spending on stopping the spread of yellow-legged hornets bucks the trend of low funding, the conservationists said – with more than £2.2 million spent over the last two years, compared to just under £500,000 in the same period on local action for wider invasive species. Research has found that efforts to stop the yellow-legged hornets in the UK have delayed the insect's establishment when it has already taken hold in many countries. But Wildlife and Countryside Link coalition of conservation groups said while this was a big achievement, the hornet, a voracious predator of other insects which first arrived in Europe on a shipment of pottery 20 years ago, was likely to establish here at some point. And the high costs of tackling it shows the need to give greater border check powers and resourcing to stop these species arriving in the UK in the first place, the conservationists said. The wildlife experts say invasive species play a major role in more than 60% of extinctions worldwide. In the UK, species are in serious decline due to invasive species including water voles, preyed on by non-native mink, red squirrels, which face competition and disease spread from their grey cousins, and white-clawed crayfish that are under threat from North American signal crayfish. Lisa Manning, policy officer at Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: 'Invasive species are one of the biggest risks to cherished species from water voles to ladybirds. 'They also wreak havoc on our waterways and cause damage to businesses, homes and to local parks and other green spaces. 'But the funding and support from the Government is failing to match the level of this threat,' she warned. 'We need more border check powers and resources to prevent new harmful species arriving. 'And more funding is needed to fight invasive species that have already arrived, so that local groups can stop struggling on an annual basis and take the long-term action needed for nature,' she urged. Erin Shott, advocacy officer at Plantlife, said: 'Local groups and volunteers are putting up a great fight to halt the spread of invasive species. 'But this action needs further co-ordination and dedicated funding if we're to stop further damage to treasured local nature sites and native British wildlife.' David Smith, from insect charity Buglife, said that despite the UK's success on yellow-legged hornets, 'we cannot afford to rely on reaction alone'. 'With many more invasive invertebrate species on the horizon, such as Chinese mystery snails, which can carry harmful parasites, and Asian longhorn beetles, which threaten our trees, timber, and fruit industries, there is a growing danger to both wildlife and the economy. 'We must focus on prevention rather than cure,' he said. An Environment Department (Defra) spokesperson said: 'This Government will never waver in its duty to protect the UK's biosecurity. 'That's why we are bolstering our national biosecurity with a £200 million investment to set up a new National Biosecurity Centre and just last week announced £10 million of funding for cutting-edge surveillance projects to detect the spread of diseases and non-native species.' An Animal and Plant Health Agency spokesperson said: 'Our teams work hard to tackle the threat of invasive non-native species, which cost the GB economy nearly £2bn a year, and help deliver a seamless border that maintains frictionless trade while protecting biosecurity. 'Members of the public who encounter invasive non-native species should report them following instructions on the Non-Native Species Secretariat website.'
The Herald Scotland
11-05-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Warning over low funding to tackle invasive species damaging British wildlife
They have called for more resources for border checks to stop non-native species arriving here, and funding for local groups to tackle the problem on the ground. A freedom of information request to the Animal and Plant Health Agency by Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL) shows only £2.47 million of the estimated £250 million biosecurity budget was going to tackling invasive species. Himalayan balsam grows along rivers in England (Alamy/PA) And just £250,000 of that was being channelled to local groups tackling non-native species on the ground – which range from Himalayan balsam and floating pennywort choking waterways to rhododendrons and giant blackberries strangling woodlands and grasslands, conservationists said. The figures also show £22.7 million of the wider biodiversity budget – around 3% of the spend on protecting important habitats and species – was spent on tackling invasive species. This funding is thought to be going towards areas such as tree disease ash dieback and Asian or yellow-legged hornets which pose a huge threat to honeybees and other insects, WCL said. Spending on stopping the spread of yellow-legged hornets bucks the trend of low funding, the conservationists said – with more than £2.2 million spent over the last two years, compared to just under £500,000 in the same period on local action for wider invasive species. Research has found that efforts to stop the yellow-legged hornets in the UK have delayed the insect's establishment when it has already taken hold in many countries. But Wildlife and Countryside Link coalition of conservation groups said while this was a big achievement, the hornet, a voracious predator of other insects which first arrived in Europe on a shipment of pottery 20 years ago, was likely to establish here at some point. And the high costs of tackling it shows the need to give greater border check powers and resourcing to stop these species arriving in the UK in the first place, the conservationists said. The wildlife experts say invasive species play a major role in more than 60% of extinctions worldwide. In the UK, species are in serious decline due to invasive species including water voles, preyed on by non-native mink, red squirrels, which face competition and disease spread from their grey cousins, and white-clawed crayfish that are under threat from North American signal crayfish. Grey squirrels out-compete and spread disease to native reds (Peter Byrne/PA) Lisa Manning, policy officer at Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: 'Invasive species are one of the biggest risks to cherished species from water voles to ladybirds. 'They also wreak havoc on our waterways and cause damage to businesses, homes and to local parks and other green spaces. 'But the funding and support from the Government is failing to match the level of this threat,' she warned. 'We need more border check powers and resources to prevent new harmful species arriving. 'And more funding is needed to fight invasive species that have already arrived, so that local groups can stop struggling on an annual basis and take the long-term action needed for nature,' she urged. Erin Shott, advocacy officer at Plantlife, said: 'Local groups and volunteers are putting up a great fight to halt the spread of invasive species. 'But this action needs further co-ordination and dedicated funding if we're to stop further damage to treasured local nature sites and native British wildlife.' David Smith, from insect charity Buglife, said that despite the UK's success on yellow-legged hornets, 'we cannot afford to rely on reaction alone'. 'With many more invasive invertebrate species on the horizon, such as Chinese mystery snails, which can carry harmful parasites, and Asian longhorn beetles, which threaten our trees, timber, and fruit industries, there is a growing danger to both wildlife and the economy. 'We must focus on prevention rather than cure,' he said. An Environment Department (Defra) spokesperson said: 'This Government will never waver in its duty to protect the UK's biosecurity. 'That's why we are bolstering our national biosecurity with a £200 million investment to set up a new National Biosecurity Centre and just last week announced £10 million of funding for cutting-edge surveillance projects to detect the spread of diseases and non-native species.' An Animal and Plant Health Agency spokesperson said: 'Our teams work hard to tackle the threat of invasive non-native species, which cost the GB economy nearly £2bn a year, and help deliver a seamless border that maintains frictionless trade while protecting biosecurity. 'Members of the public who encounter invasive non-native species should report them following instructions on the Non-Native Species Secretariat website.'
BBC News
14-04-2025
- BBC News
Shrewsbury beavers named Beryl and Bertie after school poll
Two beavers released into a Shropshire nature reserve this year have been named, after local school children submitted Eurasian beavers were released at the Old River Bed in Shrewsbury in February, reintroducing the animals to the area for the first time in 400 pair have now been named Beryl and Bertie, after Shropshire Wildlife Trust (SWT) and Shrewsbury Town Council launched a contest last winning entry came from Year 2 at Coleham Primary School, and beat other suggestions as Nutmeg and Acorn and Charlie and Darwin. A shortlist of the names suggested by schoolchildren was released earlier this month and the public were asked to vote for their final and Acorn were suggested by pupils at Meole Brace Primary School, and Charlie and Darwin came from Longnor CofE and Clive CofE beavers were transported to Shropshire from Scotland, and their release into the nature reserve is one of a number of recent projects in enclosed areas in the is hoped Beryl and Bertie will help to maintain the Old River Bed nature reserve, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
