Clean or cleaner than coal? Lets not forget that the waterlevel in the reservoirs is not constant, it fluctuates depending on the season and desired energy output of the damn at a given time. The bottom of the reservoir is mostly void of vegetation capable of stopping wind erosion so when the surface lowers you get prime conditions for sandstorms which can easily destroy nearby vegetation. A problem being created in Iceland as we speak. Of course it is possible to improve the landscape with dams and geothermal plants but it is a very tricky business.
You seem to assume that the rock down there is dry. The fact of the matter is that the rock has lots and lots of fractures and tiny tunnels through which water flows. The water, or steam, flows to the surface and there the energy is extracted from it.
Like the article says they have already gone down to 3,082m and are now conducting flow tests, which means they are seeing how much water is coming up the hole.
Of course there is the possibility that the waterflow is below a certain threshold which would render the hole economically unviable, but there is certainly no magma being moved or circulated anywhere either.
More information about IDDP : http://jardhitafelag.is.nyud.net:8080/papers/PDF_S ession_06/S06Paper122.pdf
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Clean or cleaner than coal? Lets not forget that the waterlevel in the reservoirs is not constant, it fluctuates depending on the season and desired energy output of the damn at a given time.
The bottom of the reservoir is mostly void of vegetation capable of stopping wind erosion so when the surface lowers you get prime conditions for sandstorms which can easily destroy nearby vegetation. A problem being created in Iceland as we speak.
Of course it is possible to improve the landscape with dams and geothermal plants but it is a very tricky business.
You seem to assume that the rock down there is dry. The fact of the matter is that the rock has lots and lots of fractures and tiny tunnels through which water flows. The water, or steam, flows to the surface and there the energy is extracted from it. Like the article says they have already gone down to 3,082m and are now conducting flow tests, which means they are seeing how much water is coming up the hole. Of course there is the possibility that the waterflow is below a certain threshold which would render the hole economically unviable, but there is certainly no magma being moved or circulated anywhere either. More information about IDDP : http://jardhitafelag.is.nyud.net:8080/papers/PDF_S ession_06/S06Paper122.pdf