Volcanologists want to put sensors directly into an Underground Magma Chamber

In summary: This article discusses how molybdenum is being used in the glass industry to increase the melting temperature of glass. This is useful for increasing production efficiency and reducing the cost of glass.
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BillTre
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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.
 
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Earth sciences news on Phys.org
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BillTre said:
temperatures of more than 1000°C.
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.
 
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Very dangerous. Because we are so curious about what is underneath our feet, we are going to risk destabilising the Earth even further. Think about the Magna Chamber as a balloon. Prick into the "wall" of it and see what will come spewing out under "what" kind of pressure? That's why I am already against gas "fracking". See what is happening with volcanos! We have already enough earthquakes.
 
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AstridMaria said:
Think about the Magna Chamber as a balloon.
Welcome to PF.
Your argument seems to be based on fear and misunderstanding, not science and engineering.

The balloon is a very poor analogy of a magma chamber. It completely ignores the weight of the material above the magma chamber. The tension in the skin of a balloon is not present in the surface of the magma chamber.

Drilling into a magma chamber does NOT raise the risk of eruption or earthquake. Indeed, it would probably reduce the risk since, if anything it could very slightly reduce the hydrostatic pressure within the chamber, by venting gas.

It is quite likely that the drill would fail due to the heat before it reached any magma that might flow up the borehole. At best, gasses could be vented in quantities controlled by the valves at the borehole cap.
 
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My balloon example was more or less to create an image of a contained quantity under pressure. I agree it will be highly unlikely that they can "drill" into this mass.
 
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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.
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.
 
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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.

Application of Molybdenum in the Glass Industry​

https://www.refractorymetal.org/application-of-molybdenum-in-the-glass-industry/
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.
https://www.refractorymetal.org/influence-of-molybdenum-electrodes-on-the-quality-of-glass-products/
 
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Iceland's journey to the centre of the Earth

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."
 
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Excuse me for being a gabby old prospector, but didn't your review of documentation reveal the insane and costly attempts of the U.S. Project Mohole in the early 1960s to drill through the Earth's crust to obtain samples of the Mohorovičić discontinuity, or Moho, the boundary between the Earth's crust and mantle, followed by the USSR following suit on their Kola Superdeep Borehole on the Kola Peninsula near the Russian border with Norway, which just happens to be the location of the worlds largest deep-seated deposit of Nepheline Syenite, an Alumina-Silicate making news in an eco-aware attempt to do away with the greenhouse gasses caused by the manufacturing of Portland cement.

So, what would be the purpose? You want to pump molten minerals from the earth? Spend the money instead on reinventing ECO safe underground mining.
 
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TheProspector said:
which just happens to be the location of the worlds largest deep-seated deposit of Nepheline Syenite
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.
 
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Vulcanologists, please!
 
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BillW said:
Vulcanologists, please!
Please what ?
 
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Linguists of course.
 
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BillW said:
Linguists of course.
We are not mind readers.
What do you not understand ?
Exactly what point are you trying to make ?
 
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The correct spelling is "vUlcanologist" (after Vulcan, Greek and Roman god of fire) not "vOlcanologist". Every English language student should know that. Okay, I'm pedantic...
 
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There are other acceptable spellings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanology
"
Volcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term volcanology is derived from the Latin word vulcan. Vulcan was the ancient Roman god of fire.
A volcanologist is a geologist who studies the eruptive activity and formation of volcanoes and their current and historic eruptions.
"
See also; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcano
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcano
 
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Well done! Pedantic me is happy now...
 

1. What is an underground magma chamber?

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.

2. Why do volcanologists want to put sensors directly into an underground magma chamber?

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.

3. How do these sensors work?

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.

4. Is it safe to put sensors directly into an underground magma chamber?

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.

5. What are the potential benefits of putting sensors directly into an underground magma 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.

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