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Originally Posted by Jethro Tull
I see Yellowstone Geothermal Power as a potentially cost efficient endeavor, considering the ridiculous amount of heat generated in the area.
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I do think the idea has some merit.
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One thing I have read about, however, is the seismic activity in the area, which could potentially cause problems with the plants. What do you think about that?
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I could certainly see this being a problem, especially if you are creating hydrogen gas. Though, how many geothermal areas exist that don't have any seismic activity? I'm not positive, but I would think the answer to that question would be zero.
It may be that the bigger problem is geothermal power plants *causing* earthquakes.
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Power companies have long produced limited amounts of geothermal energy by tapping shallow steam beds, often beneath geysers or vents called fumaroles. Those projects can induce earthquakes, although most are small. But for geothermal energy to be used more widely, engineers need to find a way to draw on the heat at deeper levels percolating in the earth's core.
But because large earthquakes tend to originate at great depths, breaking rock that far down carries more serious risk, seismologists say. Seismologists have long known that human activities can trigger quakes, but they say the science is not developed enough to say for certain what will or will not set off a major temblor.
The technique to tap geothermal energy creates earthquakes because it requires injecting water at great pressure down drilled holes to fracture the deep bedrock. The opening of each fracture is, literally, a tiny earthquake in which subterranean stresses rip apart a weak vein, crack or fault in the rock. The high-pressure water can be thought of loosely as a lubricant that makes it easier for those forces to slide the earth along the weak points, creating a web or network of fractures.
On Dec. 8, 2006, Markus O. Häring's geothermal project in Basel, Switzerland, was halted when it set off an earthquake, shaking and damaging buildings and terrifying many.
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Geothermal Power - News - Science - The New York Times
