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This Science magazine news article discusses how a magma field was accidentally drilled into and how they plan to make a more permanent magma observatory.
This is a great opportunity for a lot of direct new information about what is going on in magma chambers. Up till now, observations haveIn May, the Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) received financing from the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program, which said the project was one of its top priorities for the decade. With that support, along with several million dollars in funding from Iceland and other European science agencies, the project this month entered its preparation phase. It will prove out the technologies needed to hold the well open despite the corrosion that comes with superheated water, take geophysical soundings of the magma chamber, and model how the chamber will behave once penetrated. The first borehole, costing as much as $25 million, could begin as soon as 2023. been indirect.
Getting a sample will also reveal the true nature of the magma chamber. Most scientists reject the cartoonish view of magma chambers as hellish underground lakes. “We think of these systems as a mush”—small amounts of liquid between crystallized grains—“rather than a liquid balloon,” says Marie Edmonds, a petrologist at the University of Cambridge.But Krafla, which last erupted in 1984, may be an exception. The glassy bits from the 2009 drilling campaign hinted that the magma was not only liquid, but also circulating, interacting with melt lower down. “That’s the most shocking thing from what little we’ve gleaned so far,” Eichelberger says. But little is known about the magma chamber’s size or how long it has persisted—questions KMT can help answer.
KMT intends to collect multiple samples over time and embed sensors in and near the magma to measure heat, pressure, and even chemistry despite temperatures of more than 1000°C. “The technical challenges are formidable,” says Wendy Bohrson, a volcanologist at the Colorado School of Mines. KMT’s drilling partners are testing flexible couplings that can allow the steel liner of the well to expand and contract with extreme heat. And others are developing innovative electronics to withstand the heat and pressure, which could someday be used on Venus.
Steel (melting temperature like 1375°C) will flow, or in the case of a bore casing, will collapse. They'd need something like an alloy of Ta or W, or cermet composite.BillTre said:temperatures of more than 1000°C.
Welcome to PF.AstridMaria said:Think about the Magna Chamber as a balloon.
Most logical thing to look for is whatever tools are being used to handle molten glass. Lava is a silicate melt much like glass, just a bit dirtier.Astronuc said:Steel (melting temperature like 1375°C) will flow, or in the case of a bore casing, will collapse. They'd need something like an alloy of Ta or W, or cermet composite.
snorkack said:Most logical thing to look for is whatever tools are being used to handle molten glass. Lava is a silicate melt much like glass, just a bit dirtier.
https://www.refractorymetal.org/influence-of-molybdenum-electrodes-on-the-quality-of-glass-products/The melting temperature of the glass is mostly between 1100 and 1700℃, which is usually the working temperature of the melting zone and the forehearth. Obviously, molybdenum, tungsten, and B60 tungsten-molybdenum alloy are the most suitable materials for direct use in glass industrial electrodes, stirring rod cores, and protective covers. Because tungsten is expensive and difficult to process, its application is limited, so molybdenum is the most commonly used material in the glass industry.
And the possibility that the operation may trigger a volcanic eruption is something "one would naturally worry about", says John Eichelberger, a University of Alaska Fairbanks geophysicist and one of the founders of the KMT project.
But, he says, "this is poking an elephant with a needle."
"In total, a dozen holes have hit magma at three different places (in the world) and nothing bad happened."
Keith_McClary said:
Keith_McClary I would say instead of: "and nothing bad happened.", and nothing bad happened YET.Keith_McClary said:
How did they know what was down there before drilling? It seems to me they can't. Nor can anyone say without drilling that there's not a deeper deposit somewhere else.TheProspector said:which just happens to be the location of the worlds largest deep-seated deposit of Nepheline Syenite
Please what ?BillW said:Vulcanologists, please!
We are not mind readers.BillW said:Linguists of course.
An underground magma chamber is a large reservoir of molten rock located deep beneath the Earth's surface. It is formed when magma from the Earth's mantle rises and collects in a large cavity within the Earth's crust.
Volcanologists want to put sensors directly into an underground magma chamber to gather more accurate and real-time data about the activity and behavior of the magma. This information can help them better understand and predict volcanic eruptions.
The sensors used by volcanologists to monitor underground magma chambers typically measure changes in temperature, pressure, and gas emissions. They are placed deep within the chamber and are connected to a data collection system on the surface.
It can be dangerous for humans to physically enter an underground magma chamber, but the sensors used by volcanologists are designed to withstand the extreme conditions found within these chambers. They are also remotely operated, so there is no need for humans to enter the chamber.
By placing sensors directly into an underground magma chamber, volcanologists can gather more accurate and detailed data about the behavior of the magma. This can help them improve their understanding of volcanic eruptions and potentially save lives by providing early warning signs of an impending eruption.