Swiss Geologist On Trial For Causing Earthquakes 258
Posted
by
kdawson
from the should-have-called-dig-safe dept.
from the should-have-called-dig-safe dept.
Hugh Pickens writes "BBC reports that Markus Haering's company had been working with the authorities in Basel, Switzerland to try to convert the heat in deep-seated rocks into electricity, but the project was suspended in 2006 when drilling triggered earthquakes, one of them with a magnitude of 3.4, leading Haering's company to pay out $9M in damages. Haering's team planned to drill a series of holes penetrating up to 3 miles (4.8 km) underground with water being pumped onto rocks with a temperature of more than 195C. Basel's location on top of a fault line – the upper Rhine trench – had been deliberately chosen because the heat was closer to the Earth's surface. A risk assessment has since shown that the prospect of further quakes is too high to continue drilling in the city. Haering faces up to five years in prison if the judge finds he intentionally damaged property. Haering has admitted the 3.4 magnitude earthquake was stronger than he had expected and that his team 'had very little knowledge of seismicity' before starting to drill, but called the quakes 'a learning process for everyone involved.' Despite Haering's trial, the Swiss appetite for geothermal projects has not diminished. Engineers are beginning preliminary drilling in Zurich to see whether that area was suitable for a similar scheme, and St. Gallen, in eastern Switzerland, plans to start work on its own geothermal project next year. Drilling efforts are being closely watched in the US, where the energy department is sponsoring more than 120 geothermal energy projects in several states."
Blahgh (Score:4, Funny)
Hey, gotta break a few eggs (and dishes) to make an omelet.
Here we go... (Score:5, Funny)
Learning process? (Score:2, Funny)
We learned that causing earthquakes costs 9 million dollars and a 5 year stretch. I had always wondered.
No, me! ME! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:A Learning Experience - (Score:5, Funny)
In other news... (Score:2, Funny)
Seriously, if this guy changes his name to Dr. Quake or some other reasonable mad scientist name his only punishment should be a lecture from the super hero of his choice.
__________
On a more serious note, this is pretty scary. His excuse that the result was stronger than he expected is lame - when dealing with things of this magnitude you should try to be as certain as possible. Calling such a damaging incident "a learning process" seems a little asinine. I hope no one was hurt.
I hear... (Score:1, Funny)
...yellowstone's got lot of potential for geothermal energy.
Re:Blahgh (Score:3, Funny)
Re:A Learning Experience - (Score:4, Funny)
I imagine he would be seen as an evil supervillain like Lex Luthor or something, and emerge from jail with a small army to do his geological bidding.
Hey, it's a good way to get rid of... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Here we go... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:A Learning Experience - (Score:3, Funny)
Is your name Louis Michaud [newscientist.com]?
Re:Blahgh (Score:2, Funny)
continuing in your sentance to be pedantic
Clever! But I will not be so easily lured into your trap.
Re:Blahgh (Score:5, Funny)
When it comes to being dumb, never say never!
Re:Blahgh (Score:5, Funny)
Nobody is going to be dumb enough to do that again.
I bet somebody once said that about people rebuilding cities on top of active faults.
Haering's company was actually ... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Blahgh (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Blahgh (Score:2, Funny)
If you leave it alone and a natural disaster happens, you can't really sue God.
No, but you can put in a coupon for a McDonalds McFlurry into the collection plate instead of the usual fiver next Sunday...
Re:Blahgh (Score:1, Funny)
I bet somebody once said that about building residences below sea level in a hurricane zone too!
Re:Blahgh (Score:1, Funny)
I have a ticket to sell you, it's for a majestic voyage on a ship we call 'Titanic' - it's unsinkable!
Re:A Learning Experience - (Score:4, Funny)
Drilling holes with deep penetration. With a ground shaking climax.
Re:Here we go... (Score:3, Funny)
"Moria. You fear to go into those mines. The geologists dug too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dum...lawsuit trolls..."
Re:Blahgh (Score:3, Funny)
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
Albert Einstein
If you get my drift (Score:3, Funny)
But cooling the earth's core would halt continental drift. Did anyone think of that? And then where would we be? Screwed, that where.
People just don't think these things through.
Re:Blahgh (Score:1, Funny)
You wuss. I live in the desert and we've had to of the largest quakes in recent California History. Landers at 7.1 and Hector at 7.3 and the only thing I had damanged was my peace of mind when the S.O ran screaming out doors because the shaking. Me, I didn't even bother worrying about the 14Lb. bowling ball precariously perched on top of a bookcase at the end of my bed. Even the dogs knew enough to simply sleep through it. Afterall earthquakes are a fact of life in California. Nice thing though was the damn noisy neighbor finally moved. He'd had enough with the quakes, so he moved to Buffalo, NY and now has to put up with blizzards and long power outages.
Re:Here we go... (Score:2, Funny)
And quite wreckless, if I might add. I bet he is quaking in his boots, though, what with the lawsuit and all.
Re:Blahgh (Score:3, Funny)
"Bird killers" makes it sound so evil. Call them "Automated Dinosaur Culling Devices" and public acceptance will soar. Open a KFC underneath preferably with a large net on the roof and the natural cycle will be complete.
Re:Here we go... (Score:1, Funny)
Yay the Boeing Dreamliner can fly! I just heard it do a flypast...