Wyatt Gibson
WRIT 340
Professor Warford
Due: 2/14/14
Abstract
Conventionally, geothermal power plants have harnessed steam to generate electricity using hydraulic fracking in order to break apart hot rock deep below
Earth’s surface. Recent studies in Iceland have shown it is possible to drill directly into magma and use its heat to create steam, which in turn spins geothermal turbines. While Icelandic engineers drilled into the magma accidentally, thankfully they kept the well open for research. After discovering this new method of harnessing geothermal energy, it is now believed that magma has the capability to greatly increase the amount of geothermal-generated electricity worldwide and become a great alternative to fossil fuel-powered energy plants, which will eliminate many harmful environmental effects associated with burning fossil fuels and hydrofracking.
Introduction
According to National Geographic, magma is classified as molten liquid rock located beneath Earth’s surface [1]. Magma can be extremely powerful; in fact, the
Hawaiian Islands were created by a sequence of underwater hot spot volcano eruptions whose magma hardened into igneous rock [2]. The Earth has three layers: the core, which is the center, the mantle, which is the thick middle layer, and the crust, which is the top layer, as shown in Figure 2 below. Magma is located in the lower crust and upper portion of the mantle, where temperatures range from

700  C-1300  C. Magma gathers in large, underground pockets called magma chambers and can rise to the Earth’s surface through cracks in the seafloor, breaks in the crust, or holes opened during volcanic eruptions, as shown in Figure 3 [2].
Figure 2: Layers of the Earth Figure 3: Magma underground
In 2011, US electrical consumption totaled approximately 3,356 billion
Kilowatt-hours (kWh), thirteen times greater than our 1950 consumption levels [3].
The average consumer relies on nonrenewable fossil fuels like coal and natural gas to heat and light their homes. Unfortunately, the world’s fossil fuel addiction is emitting dangerous levels of CO2, methane, and other gases into our ozone, causing detrimental environmental effects. With energy prices surging worldwide and no cost relief in sight, we need to create new forms of renewable energy now more than ever. Geothermal energy, a form of renewable energy that uses the Earth’s heat to produce steam that turns turbines to generate electricity, is being utilized by some countries, but not nearly at the rate needed to fulfill our energy needs. However, scientists’ accidental discovery in northeast Iceland may open a whole new realm of possibilities in geothermal energy.
Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP)

Originally, the Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) was founded to determine whether it is both possible and economically feasible to extract energy from hydrothermal systems in the form of superheated steam [4]. In order to harness the hot steam, engineers in Krafia, Iceland drilled 4-5 km deep into the
Earth’s crust. However, drilling operations were abruptly halted when drilling penetrated molten rock and magma filled the drilling well. Drilling into magma is very rare, so engineers set heat-resistant steel casing along the sides of the well until the point of contact with the magma chamber to keep it open for geothermal research. Soon after, engineers pumped cold water into the magma and superheated steam rose out of the well at 450  C+, beating the world record for the highest geothermal temperature [5]. Now, scientists hope to properly harness this superheated steam and transform it into electricity [4].
How Does It Work
When IDDP scientists and engineers first started drilling, they looked to discover if steam could be harnessed from 4-5 km below
Earth’s surface [4]. At 2.1 km deep, engineers
Figure 3: A geothermal plant accidentally drilled into a pocket of molten rock. Due to the geothermal gradient, which is the difference between the core temperature and surface temperature of the Earth, the heated steam continuously rises from the Earth’s core to the surface [4]. As shown in Figure 3, the heat from the steam is then collected into a turbine, which in turn

spins and generates electricity; the hotter the steam, the faster the turbine spins, and thus, more energy is created. Finally, the electricity is transported away from the plant via power lines.
Environmental Effects
Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as “fracking,” is a process in which rocks are broken apart by a pressurized solution [6]. Engineers utilize fracking to harness oil, natural gas, and other fossil fuels from below Earth’s surface.
For geothermal engineers, hydrofracking is used to collect hot water stored at critical conditions in the Earth’s crust. Since hydrofracking is a recent technological advancement, there is little evidence confirming or denying its possible environmental problems. However, many groups believe fracking can have devastating environmental effects, including water contamination and soil pollution.
Up to 600 chemicals are used in fracking fluid, including toxins like lead, uranium, mercury, and radium. Furthermore, approximately 50% of these chemicals do not evaporate from the heat, but instead stay in the ground, resulting in contaminated water supplies and soil. Furthermore, according to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), up to 4% of the methane produced at fracking wells escape into the atmosphere [6]. While Methane is not extremely dangerous on a local scale, its main impact is on a global scale; the EPA ranks methane as one of the worst greenhouse gases, with a “global warming potential” twenty-one times greater than carbon dioxide [6]. Luckily, at the Icelandic well, engineers are injecting clean, cold water, which evaporates and turns into superheated steam upon contact with magma. Thus, there is no need to use the chemical fracking solution, which

leaves dangerous chemicals in the ground. If others follow suit of Iceland’s Krafia
IDDP geothermal well, the world could create geothermal plants worldwide that expend near zero emissions.
Geothermal is a much cleaner source of energy than burning fossil fuels; in fact, according to the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA), geothermal plants produce 45% less CO2, 99% less SO2, and 99.5% less NO2 than energy plants utilizing coal to produce electrical current [7]. Beforehand, geothermal plants were limited geographically because they had to be located near tectonic plate boundaries. However, now drillers simply need to find pockets of molten rock underground and they have access to a stronger geothermal energy source than ever before. Furthermore, since magma geo-thermodynamics does not use a fracking chemical compound, deadly chemicals will not pollute the soil and water supply [7].
We Hit Geothermal Gold, Now What?
IDDP scientists estimate that this single mama borehole generates 36 MW of power, over half the total amount (60 MW) the nearby Krafia geothermal plant creates from its 33 boreholes, which is Iceland’s largest-producing geothermal plant
[8]. As a result of IDDP’s findings, Iceland’s government and other private energy investment firms have reinvested in the drilling project, in hopes of boring more holes to molten rock.
So, if magma has the capability to provide so much additional geothermal energy, why are all energy companies worldwide not drilling for magma? As previously mentioned, it is easier said than done. While magma flows abundantly

beneath Earth’s surface, scientists are unable to distinguish what material is present at great distances below the surface [4]. Generally, magma chambers are located in areas of high tectonic plate activity, where plates colliding and separating create pockets that can be filled with magma [2]. Prior to the IDDP’s accidental drilling into magma in 2009, engineers had only successfully drilled into a magma chamber one other time in Hawaii in 2007; unfortunately, engineers chose to fill the Hawaiian magma well with concrete, so the Icelandic borehole is currently the only open magma well worldwide [1].
Conclusion
Over 90% of Icelandic homes are heated with an alternative fuel source, and the northern European island receives over 65% of its energy from geothermal sources; it is time for America and other world powers to follow suit [8]. With coal accounting for over 42% of America’s electricity production, our finite supply of coal will run out eventually (EIA). The magma geothermal research demonstrates that strong, clean, renewable forms of geothermal energy are available now and the first world needs to decrease our dependency on fossil fuels, both for our economy and for the environment.

Bibliography
[1] National Geographic “Magma” in National Geographic Online Encyclopedia
[Online Encyclopedia] 2003 Available: National Geographic Online http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/magma/?ar_a=4
[2] I. Stedman. 2014 Icelandic Scientists Tap Into Molten Magma For Record
Geothermal Energy Production [Online] Available: http://www.newstatesman.com/future-proof/2014/01/icelandic-scientists-tapmolten-magma-record-geothermal-energy-production
[3] U.S. Energy Information Administration “Electricity Data” [Government] http://www.eia.gov/electricity/data.cfm#sales [Accessed January 11, 2014]
[4] Iceland Deep Drilling Project “About” Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP)
[online] Available: http://iddp.is/about/ [Accessed January 8, 2014]
[5] C. Gren Iceland Successful harnesses Energy Directly From Magma [Online]
Available: http://www.industryleadersmagazine.com/iceland-successfullyharnesses-energy-directly-from-magma/
[6]
Hoffman, Joe. "Potential Health and Environmental Effects of Hydrofracking in the
Williston Basin, Montana." Potential Health and Environmental Effects of Hydrofracking in the Williston Basin, Montana . Carleton College, 2012. http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/hydrofracking_w.html
Web 27 April 2014
[7] Geothermal Energy Association “Geothermal Greenhouse Gas Emissions”
Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) [Online] Available: http://www.geoenergy.org/ [Accessed January 10, 2014]
[8] M. Chilson “Iceland Magma: Geothermal Energy Production Is Possible, Experts
Say” Newsmax [Online] Available: http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/icelandmagma-geothermal/2014/02/06/id/551375
[9] Gas Buddy “Historical Price Charts: 10 Years” Gas Buddy [Online] Available: http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx