The team isn’t keen to determine when the volcano will erupt next. Instead, they are more interested in geofluids that flow below dormant volcanoes and are confident in extracting critical battery metals and energy from them.
Estimates suggest that the mining and metals industry is responsible for four to seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Just as we are looking to phase out fossil fuels, we also need to look for ways to reduce emissions from mining operations. The Oxford team at Montserrat is busy digging holes into the ground around the volcano to determine the right approach. They hope their research will serve as a blueprint for other volcano sites and be replicated worldwide. The technology is still in its infancy, though. The researchers are aware that they won’t likely reap its benefits in their own lifetimes, they told.