Compact News: Iceland Volcano's Molten Rock Could Become Source of High-Grade Energy

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Iceland Volcano's Molten Rock Could Become Source of High-Grade Energy

Iceland Volcano's Molten Rock Could Become Source of High-Grade Energy
Wed, 16 Feb 2011 09:13:00 -0600

Photo taken at night of incandescent lava flowing downslope from a vent at Icelands Krafla volcano.

Geologists drilling an exploratory geothermal well in 2009 in the Krafla volcano in Iceland met with a big surprise: underground lava, also called magma, flowed into the well at 2.1 kilometers (6,900 feet) depth.

It forced the scientists to stop drilling.

"To the best of our knowledge, only one previous instance has been documented of magma flowing into a geothermal well while drilling," said Wilfred Elders, a geologist at the University of California, Riverside, who ...

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