With all of the talk going on about Yellowstone these past few days I started thinking about something.
I started wondering about the possibility of controlling a volcanic eruption and came up with a couple of different theories about how we could
attempt something like this.
As i understand it and put into its most basic terms.
So put simply, an eruption occurs when the magma chamber fills with magma from below and when no more magma fits in the chamber the pressure continues
to build over many, many years.
When the chamber can take no more, it explodes, resulting in a volcanic eruption.
The magma then cools, reseals and begins the process all over again, am i close to being right?
One theory I was thinking about in controlling a volcano would involve treating a volcano like a water heater that uses a pop-off valve to release the
steam as the pressure builds up.
So I was thinking of this;
Find some drillers and offer them a lot of money because theres a good chance they could die and lets use Mt St Helens as an example since its smaller
than yellowstone and has recently erupted and theres less pressure.
Its a very simple concept really but what are the chances it would work?
Since volcanoes already have natural vents, lets drill several vent shafts all around the volcano, if it worked then the volcano could not build up
pressue and there would be no eruption
The other theory is potentially even more dangerous than the first one but still the same basic concept of using something to relieve the pressure
before it can built to dangerous levels.
In this scenario, we would still drill some vents but not for the same purpose and not near as many.
Drill a few vents around the volcano, drop a 1 kiloton nuclear weapon in each vent and nuke it.
Despite the inherent danger of using a nuke as it is, i personally think that theory would have a better chance of being successful.
Anyway, what do you guys think? Are these plausible theories or am i just freakin nuts?