Klara’s Journey: Awe and Displacement
For Klara Halldórsdóttir, Iceland’s active volcano is a source of wonder and upheaval. Over the past year, she has trekked to its crater, observing dramatic eruptions and cooled lava flowing toward Grindavik, her lifelong home. But this same volcano has displaced her from that home.
In November, while walking her dogs on the beach, a series of earthquakes shook the ground. These tremors signaled an imminent eruption. Klara’s family quickly packed and joined a line of cars fleeing Grindavik. It felt “like a terrible movie,” she recalled, unsure if they’d ever return. Nearly a year later, only a fraction of Grindavik’s 3,600 residents have returned.
The Reykjanes Peninsula last experienced major volcanic activity during the Viking era, over 800 years ago. Today, it’s one of Iceland’s most populated regions, close to Reykjavik, the capital.
Icelanders maintain a complex relationship with volcanoes. While they destroy homes and disrupt infrastructure, they also supply clean, renewable energy. Iceland’s unique geology, shaped by tectonic plate movement, causes earthquakes and eruptions. This activity formed the island and continues to shape its landscape.
Since December 2023, the Reykjanes Peninsula has experienced multiple earthquakes and eruptions. The initial eruption created a fissure over two miles long, spewing lava high into the air. Subsequent eruptions destroyed homes, threatened power stations, and turned Grindavik into a ghost town. Lava flows approached the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, forcing evacuations and temporary closures.
Iceland’s volcanic history includes eruptions about every five years, often in remote areas. But recent eruptions are more violent and prolonged, with the potential to last centuries.
Tapping Into Magma’s Energy Potential
At the Krafla volcanic caldera, hundreds of miles northeast, an ambitious project is underway. Experts plan to drill into a magma chamber, unlocking a new source of geothermal energy.
In 2009, Bjarni Pálsson, then an engineer for Iceland’s national power company, made a breakthrough at Krafla. After drilling nearly three miles underground, his team found glass chips—evidence of magma. Typically, magma chambers are much deeper and harder to locate.
Fifteen years later, Pálsson returns to Krafla with better technology and new insights. The team’s goal is to convert magma’s extreme heat and pressure into geothermal energy. This project could revolutionize global energy production as countries move away from fossil fuels.
“This has never been done before,” said Hjalti Páll Ingólfsson, director of the Geothermal Research Cluster. He compared its scope to the James Webb Space Telescope, which is transforming space exploration.
If successful, this project could benefit 800 million people living near active volcanoes. “We explore distant planets but invest far less in understanding our own,” Ingólfsson said.
Krafla’s environment is ideal for this research. It’s one of the hottest geothermal fields globally, with a power plant and paved roads atop a volcano. Drilling into magma poses challenges due to extreme heat—up to 1,800°F (1,000°C)—but the urgency to reduce fossil fuel use drives innovation.
The project’s first borehole is set for completion by 2027. For the first time, sensors will be placed directly inside a magma chamber to study its behavior. This could improve eruption predictions and deepen our understanding of volcanic systems.
“We’ve never had a way to observe volcanic systems directly,” said Sara Barsotti, volcanic hazards coordinator at the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
If drilling succeeds, a second borehole is planned for 2029. This phase aims to harness magma’s extreme heat for a new form of geothermal energy, which is far more powerful than conventional methods.
Redefining Iceland’s Energy Future
Geothermal energy has already transformed Iceland’s economy. Eighty years ago, the country relied on oil and coal. Today, over 90% of Icelandic homes use geothermal energy for heating. This shift helped Iceland become one of Europe’s wealthiest nations.
Harnessing magma’s heat could further enhance geothermal energy’s potential. Unlike traditional geothermal systems, which mix water and steam, magma-based energy would create superheated steam. This steam’s higher energy density could produce significantly more power.
Initial data from Krafla’s magma chamber suggests that energy output could be 10 times greater than conventional geothermal systems. Traditional geothermal wells access temperatures of 200°F to 300°F, while magma systems would tap into temperatures of 1,800°F.
While magma drilling costs more—up to three times the cost of conventional wells—fewer wells would be needed. The 18 existing wells at Krafla, powering 30,000 homes, could be replaced by just two magma boreholes.
This breakthrough could impact energy systems worldwide. Many geothermal sites would need to drill deeper to access magma, raising costs. But the increased power output could justify these expenses, said Jefferson Tester, a professor of sustainable energy at Cornell.
Challenges remain. Boreholes must endure extreme heat and pressure for decades to ensure stable energy production. Experts are also trying to understand why magma remains hot at shallow depths. Some believe the magma’s size insulates it, while others think it’s heated by unknown geological processes.
“If we can tap into this magma resource, the potential is limitless,” Ingólfsson said. If successful, Iceland’s volcanic energy could power a cleaner, more sustainable future.