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Hot Water, Hot Earth

Posted by kdawson on from the global-warming-not-implicated dept.

Calopteryx notes a New Scientist article on the discovery of "supercritical" water emerging from a vent in the Atlantic Ocean at 407 deg. C (765 deg. F). One of its discoverers actually said, "It's water, but not as we know it"; it's the hottest water ever found on earth. The cause seems to be a huge bubble of magma beneath the ocean floor, 3 km below the sea surface. Meanwhile Nymz shares a journal entry on a hot spot on land: a 2-acre patch in Ventura county, in California, that has heated up to 433 deg. C (812 deg. F). Here geologists blame buried hydrocarbons burning as they get access to air through cracks in the ground. That high temperature was measured a foot below the ground surface.

6 of 236 comments (clear)

  1. The Year Was 1977 ... by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think I saw a special about black smokers on TV, I believe they were discovered in 1977 and I remember watching an interview of miniature sub (Alvin) pilot explaining that his temperature sensor melted when they came upon one of them and he decided to get a reading. If I recall the anecdote correctly, they were slowly drifting toward it as his friend explained to him that the hull of their craft was made of the same metal as the thermometer. He then very carefully began to operate the propellers in reverse.

    I think it was even back then that speculation began of life starting around this geothermal energy. That these minerals only populated the sea and made for nutrient rich sea water in which life could propagate.

    The only news here is that the 400 ÂC has been passed on record. I think everyone knew these could get insanely hot.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:The Year Was 1977 ... by Lord+Apathy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I've often wondered how difficult it would be to harness for a energy source. The water around these vents is supposed to be 500+ degrees. The way I'm thinking there should some kind of chimney effect as the water is heated it should rise. By tapping into the heat of this rising water we should be able to extract the energy with out damaging the ecosystem around the vent.

      --

      Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification

    2. Re:The Year Was 1977 ... by Teun · · Score: 4, Interesting
      The biggest problem is probably the great depth at which the installation needs to be build and the distance it would be from the customer.

      Especially after the 1973 energy crisis a lot of experiments have been done around the world to harness this Geothermal energy.

      For example in Italy near the famous Vesuvius, Campi Flegreii, a couple of wells were drilled (between 1200 and 2000 m. deep) and the natural aquifers produced successfully.

      The problem that eventually killed the project was that this superheated water and steam (250-350 degC) carried lots of very nasty impurities like sulphurous compounds and Arsenic.

      Of the typical 25-35 mega Watts produced only 5 were actually available after proper disposal of the pollutants.

      Of course using natural fumaroles like they do in for example Iceland and Japan is an entirely different matter.

      --
      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
  2. Re:Start drillin'! by Noexit · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Everything you need to know about oil well fires. http://www.redadair.com/

    --

    Never argue with a man carrying a water buffalo

  3. Re:When will people learn?!?!?! by PitaBred · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You're making two HUGE assumptions. One, that it acts like a scale (which is somewhat plausible), and two, that nature won't add to the 100 pound weight. Or subtract from the gold. Or move some of the gold off the scale. Or... you get my drift.

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    My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
  4. Re:Can we still blame pollution for this? by daemonburrito · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I don't know where to post in this thread to help everyone who needs it, but here is the first result from a google search for "water phase diagram".

    Phase diagrams are extremely helpful. That red dot in the upper right area is the "critical point", and the dashed phase line is meant to convey that the difference between the phases in no longer meaningful.

    The way that many of us were taught about the phases of matter is way too simplistic. "Solid-Liquid-Gas" isn't very helpful once you leave the realm of everyday human experience. If you aren't a physicist, you'll probably have to consult a phase diagram. Intuition is pretty useless.