In a happy accident for science, a geothermal energy company drilling a borehole near the Hawaiian volcano Kilauea drilled right into a magma chamber, giving researchers a glimpse of a primal geological force. The unprecedented discovery could act as a “magma observatory,” allowing scientists to test their theories about how processes transformed the molten rock below Earth’s surface into the rocky crust that humans live on today [Wired News].
Volcanologist Bruce Marsh described the discovery at the ongoing meeting of the American Geophysical Union, saying that it’s “the first time a magma has been found in its natural habitat…. Before, all we had to deal with were lava flows; but they are the end of a magma’s life. They’re lying there on the surface, they’ve de-gassed. It’s not the natural habitat. It’s the difference between looking at dinosaur bones in a museum and seeing a real, living dinosaur roaming out ...
