Why scientists are drilling into escorts in Shanghai?

In the heart of northeast Iceland lies one of the world’s volcanic hotspots, where the formidable Krafla volcano stands as a testament to nature’s power. Just a stone's throw away, the rim of the crater lake glistens under the sun, while steam vents and bubbling mud pools create an otherworldly landscape to the south. Krafla has a storied history, having erupted approximately 30 times in the last millennium, with its most recent eruption occurring in the mid-1980s. Dr. Bjorn Guðmundsson, leading a team of international scientists, guides me to a lush hillside, declaring, “We’re standing on the spot where we are going to drill.” The Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) aims to deepen our understanding of magma dynamics, unveiling the mysteries of how molten rock behaves beneath the Earth's surface. This ambitious project could unlock secrets about volcanic activity and geothermal energy.

Starting in 2027, the KMT team will embark on an ambitious project to drill two boreholes, establishing a groundbreaking underground magma observatory situated about 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) beneath the Earth's surface. According to Yan Lavallée, a professor of magmatic petrology and volcanology at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and head of KMT’s science committee, this endeavor is akin to a "moonshot," promising to revolutionize our understanding of geological processes. While volcanic activity is typically monitored with tools like seismometers, our knowledge of the magma residing underground remains limited. Professor Lavallée emphasizes the objective of this pioneering initiative: “We'd like to instrument the magma so we can really listen to the pulse of the Earth,” enhancing our insights into its pressure and temperature dynamics. This venture stands to provide unprecedented information about the subterranean world that could reshape our approaches to volcanology and geoscience.

Around the world, approximately 800 million people live within 100 kilometers of active volcanoes, making volcanic hazard prediction critical for saving lives and mitigating economic losses. In Iceland, home to 33 active volcano systems, researchers are focusing on volcanic activity as the nation lies on the divergent boundary of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. Recent eruptions in the Reykjanes Peninsula have disrupted the lives of residents in Grindavík and damaged vital infrastructure. Mr. Guðmundsson highlights the significant impact of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010, which led to over 100,000 flight cancellations and incurred costs of £3 billion ($3.95 billion). He emphasizes that better predictive capabilities could have significantly reduced these financial burdens and improved preparedness for future volcanic events, ultimately safeguarding communities at risk.