Thread: Building an island with explosives.

People have been building islands for a long time. Some are built with stones to the ground and other float on the water. Would it be possible to build an island with explosives of some sort? The idea would be to blow or open up a hole in the ground to create a volcano that builds the island for you. I probably would not be any good for the air and human life with all the ash and smoke that could come up but could it be done?

Originally Posted by mmatt9876

People have been building islands for a long time. Some are built with stones to the ground and other float on the water. Would it be possible to build an island with explosives of some sort? The idea would be to blow or open up a hole in the ground to create a volcano that builds the island for you. I probably would not be any good for the air and human life with all the ash and smoke that could come up but could it be done?

A good question but as a geologist I can say a 'No'.

A Volcano is the outward manifestation of a 'hot spot' that works it's way up to the surface.

Also, any human made explosions are less than pin pricks to the Earth. Like a grain of sand hitting the Empire State building. Even the largest nuclear explosions barely scratch the Earth. Not only are man made explosions miniscule but also their energy is spread and absorbed over an area. This is why bomb shelters are effective just a few tens of meters below a direct nuclear strike.

Originally Posted by raptordigits

A good question but as a geologist I can say a 'No'.

A Volcano is the outward manifestation of a 'hot spot' that works it's way up to the surface.

Also, any human made explosions are less than pin pricks to the Earth. Like a grain of sand hitting the Empire State building. Even the largest nuclear explosions barely scratch the Earth. Not only are man made explosions miniscule but also their energy is spread and absorbed over an area. This is why bomb shelters are effective just a few tens of meters below a direct nuclear strike.

Good, I was also worried a mad scientist of some sort could turn such an explosive device into a volcano weapon!

Specifically, I was thinking of first drilling, with the aid of explosives, into the Earths crust, a long 5 to 25 miles. Then more explosives can be used to blow the lava up into the cold water where, I am guessing, it would be convected on upward by the water until the lava cools and begins to harden. Then we could use more explosives again to keep the lava flowing until the island is fully formed. Still no good?

What would happen if you started a nuclear fuel rod burning extremely hot, and just dropped it on the ground? Would tunnel it's way down? Would melt the ground and sink through it, but not leave a hole?

Originally Posted by mmatt9876

Specifically, I was thinking of first drilling, with the aid of explosives, into the Earths crust, a long 5 to 25 miles. Then more explosives can be used to blow the lava up into the cold water where, I am guessing, it would be convected on upward by the water until the lava cools and begins to harden. Then we could use more explosives again to keep the lava flowing until the island is fully formed. Still no good?

The world's deepest hole was drilled by the Soviets in the 60's. It didn't get anywhere near penetrating the mantle. Once a depth is reached of a couple kms, the drilling process is quite delicate. Think of taking a needle and poking it through 100 ft of rock and trying to control it.

Even if the mantle was penetrated, the hole would only be less a millionth the size of current cracks in the crust from which energy is released from the mantle.

It's a positive you are using your imagination. Thomas Edison once said that he had hundreds of ideas that didn't pan out but every so often one of them clicks. You can't find a diamond without first looking at tons of rock.

Originally Posted by kojax

What would happen if you started a nuclear fuel rod burning extremely hot, and just dropped it on the ground? Would tunnel it's way down? Would melt the ground and sink through it, but not leave a hole?

I don't know much about the nuclear side of things but the heat would cause incredible steam pressure after a short distance (maybe a hundred feet maximum), the hole would blow and there would be a short-lived miniature 'Old Faithful' spewing radioactive fallout.