The exploration aims to develop new sources of renewable energy and monitor volcanic activities as a data source to prevent fatalities and minimize economic losses.
A erupção mais recente do Krafla ocorreu em meados da década de 1980 | Photo: Smithsonian Institution
Krafla Volcano, located in northern Iceland, is one of the most significant in the world, with an eruption history dating back roughly 1,000 years. Since then, it has experienced approximately 30 eruptions, the last one occurring in the 1980s. The surrounding landscape is striking: the edge of the crater lake is visible, while steam vents and bubbling mud pools to the south reveal the region’s intense volcanic activity.
Bjorn Guðmundsson leads an international team of scientists preparing to drill into Krafla’s magma. He explains, “We are at the location where we are going to drill,” referring to the project known as the Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT). The main objective of this project is to deepen the understanding of magma, or molten rock, underground. Understanding these processes may be crucial for predicting volcanic eruptions and exploring new possibilities in geothermal energy, a renewable energy source that can be both hot and unlimited.
Starting in 2027, the KMT team will begin drilling the first of two boreholes, creating an underground observatory at about 2.1 km deep. Yan Lavallée, professor of magma petrology and volcanology at Ludwig-Maximillian University in Munich, describes the project as a “moonshot” that could transform various areas of knowledge. He points out that despite the use of seismometers to monitor volcanic activity, understanding underground magma remains limited.
“We would like to instrument the magma so we can really listen to Earth’s pulse,” says Lavallée, emphasizing the importance of deeper monitoring. For this purpose, pressure and temperature sensors will be installed in the molten rock, allowing researchers to collect crucial data on magma activity.
An estimated 800 million people live within 100 km of active volcanoes, making this research vital for public safety. Iceland has 33 active volcanic systems and lies at the junction of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. Recently, a series of eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula damaged infrastructure and directly impacted the community of Grindavik.
The impacts of volcanic eruptions can be significant. Guðmundsson mentions the case of Eyjafjallajökull, which in 2010 produced an ash cloud resulting in more than 100,000 flight cancellations and an estimated cost of £3 billion (US$3.95 billion). “If we had been able to better predict that eruption, we could have saved a lot of money,” he laments.
The KMT also aims to create a testing ground for a new generation of geothermal plants that harness the extreme temperatures of magma. “Magma is extremely energetic. It is the heat source that fuels hydrothermal systems leading to geothermal energy. Why not go directly to the source?” Lavallée questions. In Iceland, about 25% of electricity and 85% of home heating comes from geothermal sources, which use hot subsurface fluids to generate steam and power turbines.
The Krafla power plant provides hot water and electricity for about 30,000 households. Bjarni Pálsson, executive director of geothermal development at Iceland’s national energy company, Landsvirkjun, comments on the plans: “The goal is to drill just below the magma, possibly even hitting it a little.”
Locating magma underground is challenging. In 2009, Icelandic engineers made a surprising discovery when they planned a 4.5 km borehole and encountered magma at only 2.1 km deep. “We didn’t expect to reach magma at that depth,” Pálsson recounts. Encountering magma is rare, seen in only a few places, such as Kenya and Hawaii.
A video of the 2009 drilling shows superheated steam at a record temperature of 452°C, while the chamber temperature was estimated at 900°C. “That well produced about ten times more energy than the average well at this location,” Pálsson explains, emphasizing that only two such wells could generate the same amount of energy as the 22 wells at the plant.
Worldwide, more than 600 geothermal plants are operating, with hundreds more in planning, driven by the growing demand for low-carbon energy. These wells are typically around 2.5 km deep and operate at temperatures below 350°C. However, several companies and research groups are exploring deeper geothermal energy, known as superhot rock, where temperatures exceed 400°C at depths of 5 to 15 km.
Rosalind Archer, dean at Griffith University and former director of the Geothermal Institute in New Zealand, refers to these heat reserves as the “Holy Grail” of energy. She highlights that this high energy density is promising, as each well can generate five to ten times more energy than traditional geothermal wells. “You have New Zealand, Japan, and Mexico all looking into it, but KMT is the closest to putting a drill in the ground,” says Archer.
However, drilling in such an extreme environment presents significant technical challenges and requires special materials. Professor Lavallée believes these difficulties can be overcome, noting that extreme temperatures are also common in jet engines, metallurgy, and the nuclear industry. Sigrun Nanna Karlsdottir, professor of industrial and mechanical engineering at the University of Iceland, mentions the need to test new materials.
“We are focusing on high-quality nickel alloys and titanium alloys,” Karlsdottir explains, highlighting that carbon steel, often used in well construction, quickly loses strength above 200°C.
While drilling into volcanic magma may seem risky, Guðmundsson is optimistic. “We don’t believe that putting a needle into a massive magma chamber will create an explosive effect,” he explains, noting that similar events occurred in 2009 without adverse consequences. “We believe it is safe.”
Other risks, such as the release of toxic gases and the potential to induce earthquakes, must also be considered. Archer notes, “But Iceland’s geological environment makes this very unlikely.” Although the work at KMT will take years to complete, it could bring advanced predictions of volcanic activity and usher in a new era of energy potential. “I think the entire geothermal world is watching the KMT project,” Archer concludes. “It is potentially transformative.”