quote:
Originally posted by Wao nahele kane
Geochem,
You appear to be hung upon and befuddled by my comments regarding so2. ....
You at least got that much of it right. SO2 has nothing to do with the steam release - and it's apparent that you aren't entirely clear on the difference between SO2 and H2S....
"Of the two gasses H2S is the more dangerous because of the necessity for it to be at relatively hazardous levels before noticing its odor."
Complete nonsense: hydrogen sulfide can be detected by most humans at around 10 to 15 parts per billion in air; it doesn't become acutely dangerous until concentrations get into the range of 500,000 parts per billion. OSHA allows exposures of 10,000 parts per billion for 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. Higher levels can cause eye irritation - and prolonged exposure at those levels can cause lung irritation. So there is a factor of 1000 between the levels that hydrogen sulfide can be smelled and levels that are legally permitted for 8 hour exposure and a factor of 10,000 between odor threshold and significant physiological irritation from longer exposure.
"So2 on the other hand is for more noticeable at lower concentrations."
Safety literature lists the odor threshold in humans for SO2 as 300 ppb to as high as 4700 ppb - or at least a thirty-times higher concentration than hydrogen sulfide. Sulfur dioxide is acutely irritating to most people at nearly those same levels and is a lethal threat to many who suffer from asthma at concentrations below the higher odor threshold value listed.
The reason I am befuddled by your claims/concerns about sulfur dioxide/hydrogen sulfide is that they have no basis in reality.
The same is true of your concerns about thermal fluids being pushed to the surface by the closing in of the geothermal wells. There are lots of fractures in Hawaii's rocks - the rocks aren't what prevents the high temperature geothermal fluids from coming to the surface. What accomplishes that is the ~2000 psi of hydrostatic pressure of the groundwater system above the geothermal reservoir. The wells operate at a pressure in the range of 250 psi more or less - when a well is shut in, the hydrostatic pressures at the well intake can be translated to the well if the shut in is not done in a controlled fashion - but the steam is not going to re-route itself outside of the well bore against that 2000 psi hydrotstatic pressure.
So again, your understanding of the processes going on in the reservoir is not based on reality in any way I can determine.
"I would appreciate for moment that you got off your assumption horse and put that big brain of yours into possible explanations for the victims claims other than assuming they are all stupid ignorant people just trying to manipulate the system."
You seem to be the one making assumptions - and I certainly don't assume that the people making all the bogus claims are stupid - many are quite smart, and will say whatever they think they have to to get what they want - whether that is compensation, or it is to ensure that geothermal development doesn't happen in a place they have chosen to stake out as their back yard.
