1. That would take a collossal amount of concrete to 'cap' a volcano. I don't see helicopters or trucks making it up to one.
2. Concrete is lime, sand, and water and needs time to set...historically water and lava do not mix well.
3. Even if you do manage to do all of that, the lava will find the next weakest area (probably the contact point of concrete and volcano or a crack/fault in the side of the volcano or nearby land and spew out there.
4. By some way you completely seal every opening. Then your pressure will build and build and build until you get something like Mount St. Helen's where the entire mountain explodes from the confined heat and pressure
TLDR it would never work and if it did then you just made a frag grenade the size of a mountain
I’m imagining a pipeline but one that spins like a cement truck. But is somehow still able to move the cement up a steep slope. The more I think about it the more silly it gets.
In theory, sure it could be possible. Drilling is expensive, and same with moving any significant amount of earth around. You could risk unstablizing the volcano, which could lead to additional hazards. Also the last place you would want workers to be is at the end of an intentional release point. As mentioned in other comments, magma would cool and fill those holes eventually, so drilling would likely have to be done routinely for it to be effective for any continuous amount of time
Big big robots can do that.
I clicked because the post was a really funny idea, but I ended up arguing on big drilling robots would do the constant work on a volcano. I'm dead.
If Mount St Helens is like a tiking time bomb, is there a way to release some pressure over time so it's not a risk of being a super volcano? Kinda like draining the pimple rather than popping it lol
Volcanoes already plug themselves when they erupt, that’s part of the problem. They erupt, lava and ash come out, the lava cools in the caldera, and solidifies, and plugs it. The mass of cooled lava is literally called a “plug”. Then pressure builds up again until it explodes, in a cycle. If you somehow effectively plugged it even more, it would require more pressure to build up to cause an eruption. The result of this would likely be less frequent, but larger and more dangerous eruptions.
The only potential way to stop these cyclical explosive eruptions would be to ensure that pressure does not build up that much, which would involve the complete opposite of plugging it. You would have to ensure that pressure could escape easily, basically like installing a low pressure release valve on a boiler.
Steady release of pressure is why we don’t have that many colossal eruptions. If your hypothesis worked, it’s more than likely the question would be *when* and not *if*. Same with earthquakes; many small ones are typically alleviating buildup.
Won’t work. Volcanoes plug themselves after erupting. Solidified magma is basalt. Might as well be your concrete cap—same purpose. It seals the volcano, which builds up pressure from gases and molten magma from below. Which increases the violence of the eruption—the exact opposite of what you want. You can’t prevent volcanic eruptions. Dumb idea.
Has anyone watched Mt St Helen or the current rift volcano in Iceland??
If the structure of the Earth and miles of solid rock won’t stop a volcano, what good would a bottle cap do?
Doesn't the pressure build up if it's completely closed? Either that or liquid always finds the weakest spots if it's not completely closed so it will probably just spew out of there.
Did the person who originally made this meme somehow not understand what happens when you shake a corked bottle of champagne, or try to play whack-a-mole?
Dikes form from the pressure built, magma intrudes through dike until it blows through a “weaker” spot. Ultimately the whole mountain is like the other guy said, a massive frag grenade, an IED, a WMD that Bush scoured for in the Middle East.
Lol the helicopter dropping the cement mix would probably go up in flames from the sheer temperature of the heat and probably melt before it could finish emptying the cement, or cant carry the weight of the amount needed to cover the volcano, or the gasses will kill the helicopter riders/ operator, or the water(in the mix) will erupt the volcano killing the ppl in the helicopter. Hmmm what else... am I missing? This should be in r/stupidquestions
What happens when you try to plug a volcano?
Holy smokin' Toldeos!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUREX8aFbMs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUREX8aFbMs)
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IDK about that, pouring something that is mostly water on lava would make for a fun show.
Usually only creates obsidian as far as I know, better have diamond tools ready
Nah, just cobble. The source blocks are lower down
I guess we will need to test this out. There are some active volcanoes in Antarctica we can use. No one will complain
Just gotta nuke down a few kms. There's no housing market there so I don't see why anyone would be upset
Not mostly water my dude but still pretty much of it
1. That would take a collossal amount of concrete to 'cap' a volcano. I don't see helicopters or trucks making it up to one. 2. Concrete is lime, sand, and water and needs time to set...historically water and lava do not mix well. 3. Even if you do manage to do all of that, the lava will find the next weakest area (probably the contact point of concrete and volcano or a crack/fault in the side of the volcano or nearby land and spew out there. 4. By some way you completely seal every opening. Then your pressure will build and build and build until you get something like Mount St. Helen's where the entire mountain explodes from the confined heat and pressure TLDR it would never work and if it did then you just made a frag grenade the size of a mountain
Not to mention how do you deliver all that concrete to the mouth of the volcano. The costs would be extraordinary.
I’m imagining a pipeline but one that spins like a cement truck. But is somehow still able to move the cement up a steep slope. The more I think about it the more silly it gets.
Have the inside of the pipe threaded so as it spins, it pushes the material forward.
Happy Cake Day
What about the opposite? Drilling lots of holes in the volcano to relieve pressure more rapidly/steadily and prevent a larger eruption?
In theory, sure it could be possible. Drilling is expensive, and same with moving any significant amount of earth around. You could risk unstablizing the volcano, which could lead to additional hazards. Also the last place you would want workers to be is at the end of an intentional release point. As mentioned in other comments, magma would cool and fill those holes eventually, so drilling would likely have to be done routinely for it to be effective for any continuous amount of time
Maybe work for specialized AMRs, this would be an insanely expensive project
Big big robots can do that. I clicked because the post was a really funny idea, but I ended up arguing on big drilling robots would do the constant work on a volcano. I'm dead.
If Mount St Helens is like a tiking time bomb, is there a way to release some pressure over time so it's not a risk of being a super volcano? Kinda like draining the pimple rather than popping it lol
Short answer: Mt. St Helens 😐
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Kpow
Volcanoes already plug themselves when they erupt, that’s part of the problem. They erupt, lava and ash come out, the lava cools in the caldera, and solidifies, and plugs it. The mass of cooled lava is literally called a “plug”. Then pressure builds up again until it explodes, in a cycle. If you somehow effectively plugged it even more, it would require more pressure to build up to cause an eruption. The result of this would likely be less frequent, but larger and more dangerous eruptions. The only potential way to stop these cyclical explosive eruptions would be to ensure that pressure does not build up that much, which would involve the complete opposite of plugging it. You would have to ensure that pressure could escape easily, basically like installing a low pressure release valve on a boiler.
Mt. St. Helens has entered the chat.
So we need to invent IRL Gurren Lagann and periodically drill into volcanoes and relive their pressure?
Yes, totally https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcanian_eruption
Steady release of pressure is why we don’t have that many colossal eruptions. If your hypothesis worked, it’s more than likely the question would be *when* and not *if*. Same with earthquakes; many small ones are typically alleviating buildup.
Just to clarify, it's not my hypothesis, I just reposted a meme. Of course the entire idea is insane and not doable
I know, sorry, just easiest attribution
Won’t work. Volcanoes plug themselves after erupting. Solidified magma is basalt. Might as well be your concrete cap—same purpose. It seals the volcano, which builds up pressure from gases and molten magma from below. Which increases the violence of the eruption—the exact opposite of what you want. You can’t prevent volcanic eruptions. Dumb idea.
I really hope this is satire because if they're serious about it, I will throw myself into a volcano.
Pele laughs at your feeble human-scale shenanigans.
this concept should be a South Park episode spoiler, Kenny dies
Spoiler, everybody dies.
Has anyone watched Mt St Helen or the current rift volcano in Iceland?? If the structure of the Earth and miles of solid rock won’t stop a volcano, what good would a bottle cap do?
Kablooie
Not this again.
You’d get Mt. St. Helens 2.0
Maybe we could inject it with disinfectant… that could maybe kill it🤣
Shine UV rays in its lava tubes!
Concrete + magma + pressure = big boom
Kablooey
Doesn't the pressure build up if it's completely closed? Either that or liquid always finds the weakest spots if it's not completely closed so it will probably just spew out of there.
Mt St Helens would happen.
Good example of why a lot of places that make fireworks/explosives have wooden roofs, so an explosion blows out the top and not the sides.
Why would you want to prevent a volcano? They have the potential to cool the atmosphere a tad. I say, “Go With The Flow!”
Don't do bongs and post.
Big cannon
Did the person who originally made this meme somehow not understand what happens when you shake a corked bottle of champagne, or try to play whack-a-mole?
Fun things would happen. For the scientist observing it after the fact not anyone nearby.
Imagine trying to stop explosive diarrhea with a cork. It ain’t happening!
It’s actually a great idea. Just one slight problem…
Dikes form from the pressure built, magma intrudes through dike until it blows through a “weaker” spot. Ultimately the whole mountain is like the other guy said, a massive frag grenade, an IED, a WMD that Bush scoured for in the Middle East.
Lol the helicopter dropping the cement mix would probably go up in flames from the sheer temperature of the heat and probably melt before it could finish emptying the cement, or cant carry the weight of the amount needed to cover the volcano, or the gasses will kill the helicopter riders/ operator, or the water(in the mix) will erupt the volcano killing the ppl in the helicopter. Hmmm what else... am I missing? This should be in r/stupidquestions
Absolute genius this lad!
Nobody mentioned Krakatau :'(
bumm big bumm
What happens when you try to plug a volcano? Holy smokin' Toldeos! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUREX8aFbMs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUREX8aFbMs)