Nature: Discussion needs to be open about how exploitation of Earth's internal heat can produce earthquakes, says Domenico Giardini, so that the alternative-energy technology can be properly utilized.
Facing the risks of geothermal quakes
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Part of that discussion should be the fact that drilling for oil and natural gas also triggers small tremors. We’ve experienced that for 80+ years.
So far the tremors have been quite small, the sort of shakes that we experience multiple times per week in California.
But now the myth has launched. The public sensors will be set on high. Every backfire will be a car bomb.
We’ve got engineering problems to overcome with drilling the diameter and depth holes needed for dry rock geothermal. Probably best to drill the next holes well away from developed areas. Perfect our technology where a little shaking won’t be noticed.
It will cost more to transmit the power, but that’s just going to have to be accepted. If it turns out that tremors are a larger problem than what we have experienced so far, then dry rock might be a ‘install it over there, ship it to here’ technology.
Or we could wait for Australia to show us the way….