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Post by Wes on Sept 22, 2010 14:48:36 GMT 10
Scientists drill volcano to predict future PLANS are being made to drill 3962-meters into an active volcano in Italy to predict when it will erupt. Recent seismic activity at Campi Flegrei has created concern the 13-kilometer wide volcanic formation, or "caldera," could explode, endangering the city of Naples, reported The Daily Telegraph of London. Campi Flegrei is located under the city’s western outskirts and the Bay of Naples. It last erupted in 1538 and is made up of 24 craters and volcanic fissures. Project coordinator Giuseppe De Natale, a geophysicist at the Italian National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology said the research was important for Naples and the world in general. "Calderas are the only volcanoes that can cause truly catastrophic eruptions with global consequences, yet they are still poorly understood," he told Nature science magazine. Potential dangers have been raised, though, that the drilling could trigger an eruption or an earthquake, endangering 1.5 million people in and near Naples. University of Naples geochemistry professor Benedetto de Vivo said a similar project in Iceland had to be stopped when magma was unexpectedly found during the operation. The drilling operation will measure rock temperature and seismic activity at different depths to work out how stable, or unstable, the volcano is. Scientists working on the project will be dealing with molten rock between 500-600 Celsius. www.news.com.au/breaking-news/scientists-drill-volcano-to-predict-future/story-e6frfku0-1225927881520#ixzz10EM9LvfNI hope they don't dill to deep.
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Post by concrete on Oct 1, 2010 1:30:03 GMT 10
Hmm...
Hasn't it been proven that if you drill into something when it's really deep.
It tends to go wrong.
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