After decades of pioneering work in geothermal energy, Iceland has an ambitious plan to use one of its most active volcanoes as a perpetual energy source.
Scientists working on the Krafla Magma Testbed describe it as “the world’s first magma observatory.”
Starting in 2027, the team will drill a 1.3-mile-deep borehole in the magma chamber of Krafla, an active volcano on the volcanic island.
The hole will allow volcanologists to study magma firsthand, revealing new insights into how volcanoes behave. It could even reveal a way to predict volcanic eruptions before they happen.
Furthermore, the heat from the magma could provide a seemingly limitless amount of energy. It could be a revolution in geothermal and green energy that could be followed on every continent.
But if there’s one place that will simultaneously benefit and completely ignore the revolutionary discoveries of the Krafla Magma Testbed, it’s Yellowstone National Park. There’s no future for magma-generated energy at the world’s first national park.
“This is something that can and is being used in other countries and the Western U.S.,” said Mike Poland with the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. “But there's no need to go to Yellowstone to do this.”
Land Of The Ice And Snow
Geothermal energy uses the natural heat under the earth’s surface to generate electricity. Water, usually from underground reservoirs, is tapped and brought to the surface, where its heat energy is converted into steam energy.
Iceland has been the gold standard of renewable energy for decades. Around 85% of the world’s “greenest country” comes from geothermal and hydropower plants, with the remaining 15% being imported oil for vehicles and fishing ships.
Because it’s a volcanic island with 33 active volcanic systems, the Icelandic people are uniquely situated to tap into the radiant heat under their feet. However, geothermal energy is a viable energy source anywhere in the world, including the United States.
“You don't have to dig down very far into the earth before it gets warm,” Poland said. “Iceland is somewhat uniquely situated, so they have an easier time of it than most, but there's a lot of places that could potentially do something similar to what Iceland does.”
But that doesn’t make geothermal energy easy to utilize and commercialize. Poland said the Krafla Magma Testbed is the result of decades of research and development of geothermal energy, which is only possible now in a country that arguably knows more about and uses more geothermal energy than any other.
“They've been working on this for a long time,” he said. “There's an awful lot of hope that we may be able to do a better job of tapping the earth for energy, but it’s not easy.”
Tapping Yellowstone’s Potential
Wyoming isn’t a promising frontier for geothermal energy. Most of the state sits on some of the oldest, coldest rock in the world, which would make tapping into the heat below an enormous undertaking.
Then there’s the literal hotspot of Yellowstone National Park in northwest Wyoming. The abundant hydrothermal activity on the surface is partially related to the geothermal energy below in the magma chambers of the world’s largest supervolcano.
Yellowstone’s geothermal potential was realized and exploited from the start. In the first century of the park’s establishment, greenhouses and swimming pools tapped into the park’s abundant energy from hot water and steam.
Today, there isn’t any geothermal energy exploitation in Yellowstone National Park.
“We had a different idea of what national parks were for at the beginning,” she said. “Then we started to understand the detriment of drawing on the thermal features to heat greenhouses and swimming pools. Visitors should be looking more towards nature, as opposed to these kinds of artificial entertainments.”
Filling a swimming pool with geothermal water is much different than establishing a geothermal power plant to generate renewable energy. However, there are many reasons why Yellowstone won’t be the envy of the geothermal eye.
Research at the Krafla Magma Testbed in Iceland is tapping into an active volcano to explore its potential to be a perpetual source of geothermal energy. There's already a geothermal plant there owned by Iceland's largest power company, Landsvirkjun. (Krafla Magma Testbed via YouTube) 
Research at the Krafla Magma Testbed in Iceland is tapping into an active volcano to explore its potential to be a perpetual source of geothermal energy. (Krafla Magma Testbed via YouTube) 
Research at the Krafla Magma Testbed in Iceland is tapping into an active volcano to explore its potential to be a perpetual source of geothermal energy. (Krafla Magma Testbed via YouTube) 
Research at the Krafla Magma Testbed in Iceland is tapping into an active volcano to explore its potential to be a perpetual source of geothermal energy. (Krafla Magma Testbed via YouTube) 
Research at the Krafla Magma Testbed in Iceland is tapping into an active volcano to explore its potential to be a perpetual source of geothermal energy. There's already a geothermal plant there owned by Iceland's largest power company, Landsvirkjun. (Krafla Magma Testbed via YouTube)
How Much Is Too Much?
The Krafla Magma Testbed initially planned to drill a 2.7-mile borehole to reach the volcano’s magma chamber. Everyone was surprised when they discovered a shallow magma chamber after drilling 1.3 miles down, which refocused the experiment.
Shallow magma chambers only occur in volcanic regions like Iceland and Hawaii. And Yellowstone.
Yellowstone has two magma chambers, including a shallow chamber three to 10 miles below the surface. However, that chamber is mostly solid, with only 5-15% of the rock inside hot enough to be melted.
Yellowstone’s second magma chamber is much larger, much deeper, and much more solid. The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory estimates that only 2% of the rock in the chamber, 12 to 30 miles below the surface, is melted.
These statistics should be reassuring to anyone concerned about an eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano, as they’re signs that it’s pretty quiet in its two magma chambers. It also means that any geothermal exploration in Yellowstone would have to go much deeper to find much less heat.
Most of Yellowstone’s geothermal energy potential would come from the surface. Yellowstone produces a tremendous amount of hot water and steam every day.
“It would certainly be viable in Yellowstone,” Poland said. “There's a lot of hot water near the surface, and what you fundamentally need for geothermal energy is boiling water and steam.”
But it’ll never happen, and for a reason beyond what the science says.
“It’s illegal here,” Poland said.
Exceptions To The Steam Act
In 1970, the 91st Congress of the United States passed the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. The act allowed the Secretary of the Interior to issue leases “for the development and utilization of geothermal resources in lands administered by him.”
There were exceptions, including several national parks known for their geothermal potential. The 15 national parks listed included Yellowstone, Mount Rainier, Hot Springs, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway.
“If the Secretary determines that the exploration, development, or utilization of the land subject to the lease application is reasonably likely to result in a significant adverse effect on a significant thermal feature within a unit of the National Park System, the Secretary shall not issue such lease,” the act reads.
That effectively ended any debate about Yellowstone’s geothermal potential. The resources that make the park a prime territory for geothermal energy make Yellowstone a national treasure and international destination.
“You would very likely shut down the natural wonder in Yellowstone,” Poland said. “There have been many other cases around the world where geothermal power has been produced near geyser fields, and those geyser fields have altered their behavior. Some of the geysers stopped erupting entirely. It would wreck these incredible systems.”
If the U.S. Department of Energy ever wanted to tap into Yellowstone’s geothermal potential, it would be an uphill battle from the very beginning. Fortunately, it never has, and it’s extremely unlikely it ever will.
“There's a lot of places, especially around the western US, where you can find this sort of energy,” Poland said. “There's no need to go to Yellowstone to do this. The power generated would not offset the cost of the efforts to get it.”
Boardwalk at Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. (Getty Images) 
Steam rising from a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park. (Getty Images)
Following Iceland’s Example Elsewhere
The Krafla Magma Testbed’s first drilling mission will start in 2026 and focus on volcano monitoring and geoscience exploration. A second drilling mission, planned for 2028, will explore the magma’s geothermal potential.
Poland and many other volcanologists are excited about the potential discoveries from the Krafla Magma Testbed. A firsthand look at a volcano’s magma chamber could lead to game-changing, life-saving information on how volcanoes behave and erupt, and its potential impact on the future of geothermal energy could be tremendous.
Poland is looking forward to applying the geologic discoveries to the ongoing work of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. Meanwhile, he can rest easy knowing any ground-breaking geothermal energy advancements will be pursued far from the park’s boundaries.
“Geothermal energy has to be done wisely, and it's not the magic bullet solution to all problems,” he said. “It will help in some places, but there are wiser solutions for getting energy in other places. I think it’s part of the energy portfolio but not the only solution, and there’s no reason for it in Yellowstone.”
Contact Andrew Rossi at andrew@cowboystatedaily.com
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
