Nanotech Could Boost Geothermal Power and Reduce Earthquake Risk
Tapping geothermal sources for power has proven a tricky proposition, because of costs and hazards associated with deep drilling. But researchers may have stumbled on a way to boost the power-producing potential of low-temperature hot springs close to the Earth's surface, using nanotechnology. Geothermal power plants typically tap into hot springs miles underground, where the proximity of magma superheats water to between 302 and 698 degrees F (150 and 370 degrees C). But drilling that far down has sometimes led to scary Earth tremors, which have halted some geothermal projects, and caused scientists to fret about triggering major earthquake faults. As a trade-off, low-temperature hot springs closer to the surface present less of a hazard, but also provide less heat for geothermal plants to tap. But that could change based on a $1.2-million Department of Energy effort backing nanotech as a solution. Researchers had...