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GeoGeoGeoGeo OP t1_iyljqrw wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in New Estimate Finds More Magma Under Yellowstone Supervolcano - The extra magma doesn’t mean it’s more likely to erupt, scientists say. In fact, the better measurement helps them to understand its future by GeoGeoGeoGeo

>Possibly the risk of causing an eruption

How would it cause an eruption (especially considering it can't erupt because its only up to 20% melt fraction)?

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kinda_alone t1_iyn7z7l wrote

Geothermal tapping cannot cause an eruption.

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bladow5990 t1_iynyjx8 wrote

It did at fly geyser in NV

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GeoGeoGeoGeo OP t1_iyo4pyd wrote

To be clear, we're talking about an eruption of magma not hot water out of a cm scale borehole.

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SirRockalotTDS t1_iyn5hhe wrote

Now you'll have to explain to me why it CAN'T wrrupt.

A lot of that solid is well over the melt temperature and could instantly turn into melt if the pressure was suddenly reduced. How are you sure that that wont happen?

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GeoGeoGeoGeo OP t1_iyo1hxi wrote

People have drilled directly into magma before (Hawaii in 2007? & Iceland 2009), and there has been no eruption for a couple of reasons:

(1) drill holes are too narrow to transmit the explosive force of a volcanic eruption. (It’s the equivalent of piercing a champagne cork with a pin rather than removing the entire cork at once.)

(2) Due to the small diameter of drill holes (typically <10 cm), the small amount of magma that could flow into the shaft would solidify long before reaching the surface

See Iceland Deep Drilling Project:The first well, IDDP-1, drilled into Magma for more information.

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