Icelandic Volcanic Eruption - Significant Disruption to UK Flights

Another quiet morning at Aberdeen, the military were out though...

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Raist said:
It has certainly been considered over and over again. The energy potential is enormous. But they could never find a cost-effective solution for harvesting it. Much the same as collection of methane gasses from landfills. It would cost more to collect and ship than it is just to produce the same energy from a more conventional method.
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Could it not be used in the same way as a conventional powerstation though? EG to heat water used to drive turbines to produce energy?
 
Thorpy said:
I'm watching bbc news and I'm just waiting for:

"KATLA just blew up"
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It wont happen yet, what you need to watch out for is seizmic activity. think of a cola bottle when you shake it, the pressure gets so intense that when you open it, it spouts out. it's the same with the volacano that seizmic activity will go through the roof because of the pressure.
 
dave1983 said:
It wont happen yet, what you need to watch out for is seizmic activity. think of a cola bottle when you shake it, the pressure gets so intense that when you open it, it spouts out. it's the same with the volacano that seizmic activity will go through the roof because of the pressure.
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It's already increased by 200% in the last 2 days, at Katla.
 
Over Clocker said:
Could it not be used in the same way as a conventional powerstation though? EG to heat water used to drive turbines to produce energy?
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Sure Iceland already do use a load of geothermal powerplants, just at a safe distance from the volcano. You dont want to go and slap a nice new and expensive power plant close to an active volcano where its likely to wreck it a few years down the line. The ground is still plenty warm enough to be of use at a safe distance.
 
DavieCramb01 said:
I think we are going the wrong way with these volcanoes. looking for a new source of energy. lets use it to boil water for steam. geothermal energy. make energy
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You are way behind... Iceland though of that years ago and use it for about 99% of it's energy needs.:p

Le_Petit_Lapin said:
Right, so are the OCUK armchair volcancologists saying its time to nip to B&Q and buy up all the dust masks?
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Armchair Geologist?

Pah, fieldtrips to active volcaones here, nothing remotely armchair!

Well one trip anyway, currently in limbo between amateur and professional geologist at the moment. :p However I find volcanology in general boring, it's all igneous rock, 99% nothing to do with eruptions...:(

Also anyone interested in a professional view on this eruption should have a look at http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions , it's a great blog for anything volcanic.
 
Over Clocker said:
Could it not be used in the same way as a conventional powerstation though? EG to heat water used to drive turbines to produce energy?
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I can't speak for other parts of the world (seems they're already doing that in Iceland), but here in the US the volcanic locations are so remote and at very high altitudes that they weighed the costs and determined it wouldn't work out. They may be doing it in Hawaii already - I'll have to look that up.

Also, as Le_Petit_Lapin said, they don't want to be plonking down a billion-dollar power station where it might be in harm's way. :)

There may have been other reasons as well, I'm just remembering vaguely from a trip to Yellowstone a few years back.

edit: negative on Hawaii. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=HI
 
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