“Canadians are often surprised to know there’s volcanoes in the country,” said Steve Grasby, a geologist with Natural Resources Canada. “But there are active volcanoes.”
That much heat at such a relatively shallow depth is a great opportunity for geothermal energy, said Grasby. For comparison, underground temperatures in Alberta — where some see geothermal potential in the energy wells dotting the province — only rise by 50 C for every kilometre of depth.Article contentGeothermal plants generate power through the heat contained in underground water. Their success depends on sinking wells in just the right place to find the most water at the highest temperatures.
Part of the map will be drawn through basic geology. The team will analyze which rock types are present to find out how permeable or porous they are, or locating and diagramming fault systems that may hold hot water.Article content “You can start to develop a 3-D image of what’s underground. By collecting these observations all around the volcano, you can start to see there’s a magma chamber at 10 kilometres depth or a hot fluid-filled reservoir at two kilometres.That alpine scan could be used by drillers to determine exactly where to position themselves to get to the best heat resources.Article content
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