Drilling Hits an Active Magma Chamber In Hawaii [good news for science]

Slashdot ^ | 12/17/2008 | timothy

[UCANSEE2]

Thanks for posting the article.

---

“’This is unprecedented; this is the first time a magma has been found in its natural habitat,’ “

I can’t resist.

“Does it have a mate? Do they have children? What are children of Magma called?”

[AFreeBird]

Who knew there were people out their who get excited about watching rocks solidify.

Ever get excited in the symphony of a V-8 and how all its moving parts produce the power and sounds it does? Or in the simplicity of twin P&W J58's as they push a Blackbird trough the transonic barrier to stratospheric heights at scary MACH speeds?

Mechanics, and the science and engineering behind them. Observation and exprimentation made them all possible. The Earth is a machine, figuring out how it does the things it does, translates into making stuff we want to make, to do things we want.

Pretty cool discovery.

[17th Miss Regt]

Then there is the story about how after Mary was told she would bear a child named Jesus, she sang, “My soul doth magmafy the Lord....”

[uncommonsense]

I stand corrected - it looses temperature. Why is that interesting? Weren't they looking for geothermal energy? Seems like they found it, but the lava drying - sorry - loosing temperature seems to have won their attention.

BTW, the lava puns are pretty funny, especially after reading about Germany's bond issues.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Were there scantily clad Hawaiian maidens chasing the engineers around a bush?

Engineers, maidens, and a chaste bush alert.
(Jest for the halibutt.)

(WhyisatexasgirltrimmingherbushinHI?)

[Robert A Cook PE]

Pretty cool discovery.

Well, technically, this used to be a hot discovery.
Then it loosed its energy and cooled up the whole, but the HI scientists still got their rocks off.

[MHGinTN]

;-) That bit of grin will send me off to the pillow. Night all

[elephantlips]

Remember, there are scientists who measure the amount of flatulation from sheep. “Yes, Timmy, and what does your father do?”

[blam]

Indonesian Mud Volcano

Following is a chronology of the events: May 29, 2006: A team from Lapindo Brantas drilling company notices steam, water and gases in its exploration well in Sidoarjo district on Java island -- Several people reportedly suffer minor respiratory problems from the released hydrogen sulfide gases. School children in the area are sent home

June 2: Around 300 people are evacuated from their homes after mud spews from the well which has been dubbed a volcano and inundates nearby homes

June 10: A major highway linking the East Java capital of Surabaya with the southeast city of Malang closes after the hot sludge reaches part of the road

[snip]

[sionnsar]

See #22. I think it has your answer. There are frequently big surprises in actually observing a process for which beforehand you only saw the inputs and outputs.

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[oldfart]

“What are children of Magma called?”

Magnets?

[aruanan]

'Before, all we had to deal with were lava flows; but they are the end of a magma's life. They're lying there on the surface, they've de-gassed. It's not the natural habitat.'

Poor guy. Lava flows are part of magma's natural habitat. Flowing up into a drill hole is not.

[Trajan88]

Magma... sorry, I just like saying “magma.”

[Robert A Cook PE]

Magnettes.

And they’re very attractive, ya know.

[dr_lew]

Why is lava drying interesting or important? I thought they’d be excited about taping into an unlimited source of heat to create clean electric energy. Shows how much I know about science...

Truer than you know.

[chainsaw]

Who knew there were people out their who get excited about watching rocks solidify.

They should try sex sometime.

[bert]

......lava drying.....

Lava does not dry. It solidifies, that is it freezes. Just as liquid water freezes as 32 F, Liquid rock, ie magma freezes when the when the temperature drops to the point of solidification.

The interesting question raised is the magma encountered in the Hawaii drill hole similar to the magma that oozes from the volcanoes. The article speaks of granite formation rather than the volcanic rock

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks neverdem.

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[Professional Engineer]

LOL