Abandoned oil rigs pose a real threat to the environment and climate change. Can we find a way to eliminate the threat and also find a solution to the green energy crisis?

Earth & Energy

Abandoned oil wells pose a real threat to the environment and climate change. Can we find a way to eliminate the threat while powering our future?

This Solution to Aging Oil Wells Could Help Combat Climate Change

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/william-hutchison-419495">William Hutchison</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-st-andrews-1280">University of St Andrews</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/juliet-biggs-134165">Juliet Biggs</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bristol-1211">University of Bristol</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tamsin-mather-385296">Tamsin Mather</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-oxford-1260">University of Oxford</a>
Ethiopia tends to conjure images of sprawling dusty deserts, bustling streets in Addis Ababa or the precipitous cliffs of the <a href="https://simienpark.org">Simien Mountains</a> – possibly with a distance runner bounding along in the background. Yet the country is also one of the most volcanically active on Earth, thanks to Africa’s <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/videos/geologic-journey/african-rift-the-great-rift-valley-1301.aspx">Great Rift Valley</a>, which runs right through its heart.
Rifting is the geological process that rips tectonic plates apart, roughly at the speed your fingernails grow. In Ethiopia this has enabled magma to force its way to the surface, and there are over 60 known volcanoes. Many have undergone colossal eruptions in the past, leaving behind immense craters that pepper the rift floor. Some volcanoes are still active today. Visit them and you find bubbling mud ponds, hot springs and scores of steaming vents.
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<figure style="width: 754px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192438/original/file-20171030-18725-yn0y3a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192438/original/file-20171030-18725-yn0y3a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" width="754" height="445" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Steam rising at Aluto volcano, Ethiopia. William Hutchison</figcaption></figure><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
This steam has been used by locals for washing and bathing, but underlying this is a much bigger opportunity. The surface activity suggests extremely hot fluids deep below, perhaps up to 300°C–400°C. Drill down and it should be possible access this high temperature steam, which could drive large turbines and produce huge amounts of power. This matters greatly in a <a href="https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/WEO2014.pdf">country where</a> 77% of the population has no access to electricity, one of the lowest levels in Africa.
Geothermal power has recently become a serious proposition thanks to geophysical surveys <a href="http://www.rg.is/static/files/about-us/rg-corbettigeothermalpower.pdf">suggesting that</a> some volcanoes could yield a gigawatt of power. That’s the <a href="https://energy.gov/eere/articles/how-much-power-1-gigawatt">equivalent of</a> several million solar panels or 500 wind turbines from each. The total untapped resource is <a href="http://theargeo.org/fullpapers/COUNTRY%20UPDATE%20ON%20GEOTHERMAL%20EXPLORATION%20AND%20DEVELOPMENT%20IN%20ETHIOPIA.pdf">estimated to be</a> in the region of 10GW.
Converting this energy into power would build on the geothermal pilot project that began some 20 years ago at Aluto volcano in the lakes region 200km south of Addis Ababa. Its infrastructure is currently being upgraded to increase production tenfold, from 7MW to 70MW. In sum, geothermal looks like a fantastic low-carbon renewable solution for Ethiopia that could form the backbone of the power sector and help lift people out of poverty.
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<h2>Scratching the surface</h2>
The major problem is that, unlike more developed geothermal economies like Iceland, very little is known about Ethiopia’s volcanoes. In almost all cases, we don’t even know when the last eruption took place – a vital question since erupting volcanoes and large-scale power generation will not make happy bedfellows.
In recent years, the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has been funding <a href="https://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/riftvolc/ProjectRiftVolc.html">RiftVolc</a>, a consortium of British and Ethiopian universities and geological surveys, to address some of these issues. This has focused on understanding the hazards and developing methods for exploring and monitoring the volcanoes so that they can be exploited safely and sustainably.
Teams of scientists have been out in the field for the past three years deploying monitoring equipment and making observations. Yet some of the most important breakthroughs have come through an entirely different route – through researchers analysing satellite images at their desks.
This has produced exciting findings at Aluto. Using a satellite radar technique, we <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016GC006395/full">discovered that</a> the volcano’s surface is <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Highlights/Africa_s_ups_and_downs#">inflating and deflating</a>. The best analogy is breathing – we found sharp “inhalations” inflating the surface over a few months, followed by gradual “exhalations” which cause slow subsidence over many years. We’re not exactly sure what is causing these ups and downs, but it is good evidence that magma, geothermal waters or gases are moving around in the depths some five km below the surface.
<h2>Taking the temperature</h2>
In our <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037702731730118X">most recent paper</a>, we used satellite thermal images to probe the emissions of Aluto’s steam vents in more detail. We found that the locations where gases were escaping often coincided with known fault lines and fractures on the volcano.
When we monitored the temperature of these vents over several years, we were surprised to find that most were quite stable. Only a few vents on the eastern margin showed measurable temperature changes. And crucially, this was not happening in synchronicity with Aluto’s ups and downs – we might have expected that surface temperatures would increase following a period of inflation, as hot fluids rise up from the belly of the volcano.
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<figure style="width: 754px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192440/original/file-20171030-18700-1tm2a02.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/192440/original/file-20171030-18700-1tm2a02.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" width="754" height="455" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">A productive geothermal well on Aluto. William Hutchison</figcaption></figure></figure>
It was only when we delved into the rainfall records that we came up with an explanation: the vents that show variations appear to be changing as a delayed response to rainfall on the higher ground of the rift margin. Our conclusion was that the vents nearer the centre of the volcano were not perturbed by rainfall and thus represent a better sample of the hottest waters in the geothermal reservoir. This obviously makes a difference when it comes to planning where to drill wells and build power stations on the volcano, but there’s a much wider significance.
This is one of the first times anyone has monitored a geothermal resource from space, and it demonstrates what can be achieved. Since the satellite data is freely available, it represents an inexpensive and risk-free way of assessing geothermal potential.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86566/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />With similar volcanoes scattered across countries like Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the technique could allow us to discover and monitor new untapped geothermal resources in the Rift Valley as well as around the world. When you zoom back and look at the big picture, it is amazing what starts to come into view.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/william-hutchison-419495">William Hutchison</a>, Research Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-st-andrews-1280">University of St Andrews</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/juliet-biggs-134165">Juliet Biggs</a>, Reader in Earth Sciences, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bristol-1211">University of Bristol</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tamsin-mather-385296">Tamsin Mather</a>, Professor of Earth Sciences, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-oxford-1260">University of Oxford</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-turn-a-volcano-into-a-power-station-with-a-little-help-from-satellites-86566">original article</a>.

We could see an eruption of clean energy.

We could power the world with volcanoes

Harnessing the geothermal energy of volcanos could allow for reliable access to renewable energy in one of the least served nations in the world.

We Could Power the World With Volcanoes

The future of energy may be the heat that lives within our planet.

<h2>From Threat to Ally</h2>
When people think of Yellowstone, it&#8217;s usually in relation to the national park, a massive 8,983 square kilometer (3,468.4 square mile) area comprising mountains, rivers, and forests. Less commonly considered is the Yellowstone Caldera, a supervolcano whose eruption could be devastating for our planet.
<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/natural-disasters-science-supervolcanoes/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/02/Home-Thumb-1.jpg" alt="Natural Disasters: The Science of Supervolcanoes" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/natural-disasters-science-supervolcanoes/" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></figure>
Thankfully, such an explosion is highly unlikely, and now, <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-has-a-3-5bn-plan-to-save-the-planet-from-the-yellowstone-supervolcano" target="_blank">NASA has come up with a way</a> to not only ensure that the volcano remains inactive, but also use it to provide the surrounding area with electricity.
Following their release of <a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170724-would-a-supervolcano-eruption-wipe-us-out" target="_blank">a story on supervolcanoes</a>, the BBC was contacted by a few NASA members who wanted to share <a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170817-nasas-ambitious-plan-to-save-earth-from-a-supervolcano" target="_blank">details on a previously unreleased plan</a> to deal with Yellowstone. Even NASA admits their incredibly ambitious plan is risky, but the potential benefits resulting from its success can&#8217;t be completely ignored.
First, they would drill into the volcano from the lower sides, outside the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. Coming from this direction would prevent the intense heat from making its way to the top of the chamber, where it would cause further problems.
Once drilling is complete, water would be pumped into and back out of the supervolcano at high pressures, with the exiting water heated to a temperature of around 350 degrees Celsius (662 degrees Fahrenheit). The water going in would slowly cool the volcano, while the hot water coming out of it could be used to generate electricity.
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“Yellowstone currently leaks around 6GW in heat,” Brian Wilcox, a researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), explained to the BBC. “Through drilling in this way, it could be used to create a geothermal plant, which generates electric power at extremely competitive prices of around $0.10/kWh.&#8221;
<h2>Unseen Success</h2>
Aside from the dangers inherent in any plan to drill into a volcano, the NASA proposal is also largely theoretical — no one knows for sure that it would work, and the cost of finding out would be an estimated $3.46 billion. Wilcox doesn&#8217;t think this cost is insurmountable, however.
&#8220;You would have to give the geothermal companies incentives to drill somewhat deeper and use hotter water than they usually would, but you would pay back your initial investment and get electricity which can power the surrounding area for a period of potentially tens of thousands of years,&#8221; he noted. &#8220;And the long-term benefit is that you prevent a future supervolcano eruption which would devastate humanity.”
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Even if the system can effectively cool Yellowstone at NASA&#8217;s estimated rate of 1 meter (3.2 feet) per year, it would take thousands of years before only cool rock was left and longer than that to actually confirm that the process had permanently eliminated the threat of an eruption.
Despite all of these variables, the plan is worth consideration, especially given that Yellowstone is just one of about 20 supervolcanoes on the planet. NASA hopes that their proposal will encourage more practical discussions and debates on what to do about these massive structures prior to an eruption, at which point the Earth could be thrust into a volcanic winter.

Even NASA admits their incredibly ambitious plan is risky.

NASA has shared a plan that would theoretically prevent the Yellowstone supervolcano from ever erupting while also generating electricity.

NASA Has a $3.46 Billion Plan to Ensure the Yellowstone Supervolcano Doesn’t Erupt

Bonus: It could provide energy for tens of thousands of years.

<h2>Drilling for Clean Energy</h2>
Drilling and clean energy are concepts rarely used together in the same sentence, but when it comes to geothermal energy, drilling is a major part of the process. In Iceland, engineers have created a drill — which goes by the name &#8220;Thor&#8221; —  that has drilled up to a record-breaking depth of 4,659 meters (almost 3 miles). While this drilling project is experimental, it could potentially produce 10 times more energy than conventional fossil fuels. <figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/energy-future-harnessing-power-earth/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/02/harnessingearthenergies_home_v1.png" alt="The Energy of the Future: Harnessing the Power of Earth" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/energy-future-harnessing-power-earth/" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></figure>
Geothermal energy comes from the Earth, and since the team is digging in volcanic areas, it&#8217;s abundant. These areas, when accessed with a drill like Thor, contain extremely hot (427 degrees C (800 F), pressurized liquids that give off enough steam to turn a turbine, which then generates clean electricity. This project, the Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP), is still in its experimental phases, and has been given two years to demonstrate how successful and economically viable it can be.
<h2>A Geothermal Answer?</h2>
Iceland currently runs on 100% clean, renewable energy: approximately 25% geothermal and 75% hydroelectric energy. However, while geothermal energy is much more environmentally-friendly than the use of fossil fuels, it is not completely green. According to Martin Norman, a Norwegian sustainable finance specialist for Greenpeace, drilling for geothermal energy is not &#8220;completely renewable and without problems. As soon as you start drilling you have issues to it, such as sulphur pollution and CO2 emission and they need to find solutions to deal with it.&#8221;
While Iceland is making great progress with renewable energy, there are still improvements that can be made to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, according to The Institute of Economic Studies at the University of Iceland, due to their produced emissions, the country will not be adherent to the <a href="http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php" target="_blank">Paris climate agreement</a>.
However, while Iceland still has a lot to accomplish in order to lessen their carbon footprint, this type of progress is what will make it possible for us to fight the progression of climate change.

A geothermal energy project by Newcastle University, UK.

Iceland currently runs on 100% renewable energy, making them a global leader in the fight against climate change.

Iceland is Using Extreme Tech to Harvest Clean Energy From Volcanoes

Don't want to use fossil fuels? No problem. Just use the center of the Earth.

<h2>Powering the Future</h2>
How will the world continue to push the boundaries of <a href="https://futurism.com/?s=sustainable+energy">sustainable energy</a>? It seems that the solution for a new, revolutionary energy source is right under our feet. Ultimately, scientists think that we could solve the world&#8217;s energy problems by collecting geothermal energy in a newfound way&#8230;and they are working to do just that.
A section of the groundbreaking documentary, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY7f1t9y9a0">Billions in Change</a>, highlights the immense potential of a new geothermal energy concept. This idea starts with a modern substance being utilized by entrepreneur-turned-good-Samaritan, Manoj Bhargava, and his team of highly skilled engineers.
This substance is known as <a href="https://futurism.com/?s=graphene">graphene</a>.
At a glimpse, graphene sounds like it’s straight out of a science fiction novel. It’s essentially carbon dissected at single-molecule level: The world’s first two-dimensional object. It’s almost transparent, and almost weightless, but it’s stronger than steel and possesses a particularly amazing property. Namely, graphene is one of the best conductors in the world.
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<h2>Limitless Energy Potential</h2>
In fact, graphene conducts 100 times better than copper! It also conducts heat in an oddly direct way. Energy is transferred through graphene from end to end without any heat remaining in between.
To that end, just a few miles beneath us lies nearly unlimited potential. There is an astounding amount of heat below us; all we need to do is collect that energy. It’s possible to transfer <a href="https://futurism.com/geothermal-power-a-breakthrough-straight-into-the-volcano/">geothermal heat</a> into clean energy. But what’s stopping the world from harnessing this power?
Quite simply, it’s the resources we have to transfer the Earth’s heat, or a lackthereof rather. Copper based instruments melt the further down they go, and so do most other conductive materials. But not graphene. This is because graphene is the world’s most conductive substance, all while being malleable and stronger than metal.
Using graphene to collect geothermal energy is extremely promising, and Bhargava is the person at the forefront of this incredible idea. As the CEO of the popular Five Hour Energy drink, he’s taken his immense wealth and channeled it into creating the energy source the world needs. What we need is energy that is limitless, without creating pollution. In those regards this idea is extremely promising.

Beneath the surface of our planet rests an amazing amount of heat and, thus, energy. The only problem is getting to it. However, scientists have a plan to use graphene in order to tap into this source. 

/Geothermal Energy

Earth & Energy

This Solution to Aging Oil Wells Could Help Combat Climate Change

Earth & Energy

We Could Power the World With Volcanoes

Earth & Energy

NASA Has a $3.46 Billion Plan to Ensure the Yellowstone Supervolcano Doesn’t Erupt

Earth & Energy

Iceland is Using Extreme Tech to Harvest Clean Energy From Volcanoes

Earth & Energy

Thanks to Graphene, We May Harness The “Limitless Energy” Beneath Earth’s Surface

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