Thread: More good news
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  #10  
Old January 3rd 04, 06:11 PM
Ruediger Klaehn
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Default More good news

Scott Lowther wrote:

Scientists closely monitoring Yellowstone

Recent eruptions, 200 degree ground temperatures, bulging magma and 84
degree water
temperatures prompt heightened srutiny of park's geothermal activity

Think positive. Wouldn't that be a *huge* energy source? Correct me if I'm
wrong, but I always thought that violent volcanic eruptions are caused by
liquid rock with a lot of gases (mostly CO2) dissolved in it. The liquid
rock forms a huge subterran bubble and the gas tends to be at the top of
that bubble since it is lighter.

If you could drill a hole into the top of the magma bubble and release the
gas through a gas turbine, you could generate a lot of energy and prevent a
violent explosion. You would probably produce more CO2 than all fossil fuel
plants in the world combined, but that CO2 will find its way into the
atmosphere sooner or later anyway.

Once you got rid of the gases, you could use the thermal energy with
traditional steam-based geothermal power plants.