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Scientists would drill a volcano, but it could trigger a disaster

Maybe we can finally get to the center of the Earth thanks to an ambitious new project that wants to drill a huge tunnel deep into the middle of a volcano! Scientists warn that the business, which is already underway, carries the risk of a massive eruption

The international research team plans to dig a hole 1.2 miles deep in the molten rock of Krafla volcano in northeastern Iceland. However, they do not seek ancient treasures as in Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. They hope to build the world’s first “magma observatory,” where they can observe molten rock hot to 1300 degrees Celsius deep underground for the first time. The research team believes that this could help them find a new source of energy and even develop an early warning system for world outbursts.

The team behind the project believes that this could lead to huge discoveries in energy production. But it can also be a risky venture, as a warped drill can accidentally trigger another eruption. An outbreak is something that “one is naturally worried about,” said John Eichelberger, one of the founders of the project. But he thinks it’s like “stabbing an elephant with a needle.” Eichelberger added: “In fact, so far a total of a dozen holes have collided into the magma in three different places (in the world) and nothing bad has happened.”

The project started in 2009 when an energy company accidentally drilled into a shallow magma chamber. Although the drill was damaged, no eruption occurred and no one was injured. Magma, which is underground lava, is usually at least 2.7 miles below the earth. inside a volcano.

“We have never seen an underground magma, apart from accidental drilling in Hawaii, Kenya and Krafla, “Italian volcanologist Paolo Papale told AFP.

Vordis Eiriksdottir, head of the energy company’s geothermal operations, hopes that this “it will lead to new technology so that we can drill deeper and be able to harness this energy, which has not been possible so far.” Magma emits a huge amount of volcanic steam at 450 ° C, which could produce five to ten times more energy than a normal geothermal power plant.

As is well known, Iceland uses almost 100% renewable energy. thanks to geothermal power plants that use the power of volcanoes to produce clean and cheap electricity. The country has so much electricity that it even plans to export energy to the UK via a huge submarine cable.

Iceland is also the original location of the “Journey to the Center of the Earth”. In a story written by Jules Verne, explorers venture into the dark heart of the country’s Snæfellsjökull, an inactive volcano and a popular tourist attraction.

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