The main threats and possible solutions to this problem were detailed in a recently published report by Brian Wilcox, who was previously a member of the NASA Advisory Committee. The report is interesting because it has not been previously published in the public domain.
According to the scientist, there are about 20 supervolcanoes on our planet, which, in the event of an eruption, can completely change the Earth's climate. The last time a supervolcano exploded in New Zealand was 26,500 years ago. Such large-scale eruptions occur with a frequency of 100,000 years.
Danger on a planetary scale
According to the UN, if a supervolcano explodes in the near future, such an eruption will result in a prolonged nuclear winter and global famine. Moreover, food products after such a disaster will remain for only 74 days.
Currently, the most dangerous supervolcano is located in the United States, in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. It is in this place, in the utmost proximity to the surface of the earth, that a huge amount of magma has accumulated, which can burst out at any moment and lead to a planetary catastrophe.
Now about 60-70% of the heat from Yellowstone goes to the atmosphere through groundwater, which enters the volcano through cracks. The remaining heat is accumulated in the magma chamber. At the moment when the pressure inside the supervolcano reaches its limit values, it will be impossible to prevent a catastrophe.
How to cool Yellowstone?
Promotional video:
According to Brian Wilcox, in order to neutralize a supervolcano, it is enough to simply cool it by 35%. In particular, the idea of building a large aqueduct to provide water access to the inside of the magma chamber is being discussed. However, this method is considered incredibly expensive and difficult to implement.
Another idea is to drill a well to a depth of 10 km. Water will be pumped into the magma chamber under high pressure. Then the liquid heated to 350C will be returned back and used to generate electricity in a geothermal power station. Thus, it will be possible not only to prevent the explosion of the supervolcano, but also to recoup the costs associated with the implementation of this project, which amount to 3.46 billion US dollars.
The only drawback of this design is the high probability of damage to the cap above the magma chamber. As a result, cracks can form, which will inevitably lead to an eruption.