Heinrich Semenovich Shteynberg
Director of Institute of volcanology and geodynamics of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, head of the laboratory of volcanology and vulkanoopasnost of Institute of sea geology and geophysics of Far East office of the Russian Academy of Sciences
– Half a century back, investigating volcanoes Kamchatka territory and Kuriles, you prompted to the general designer Korolev as the Moon surface looks, and subsequently directed place search for land tests of a moon rover. Then Kamchatka territory is a slice of a lunar landscape on Earth?
– On the physicomechanical properties the Moon surface in those areas which we recommended for landing, – absolutely exact compliance to our platforms on the Kamchatka volcanoes Shiveluch and Tolbachik. On them rolled different cars for Mars and for the Moon. And after all in the 60th years geologists yet were not engaged in the Moon. And stations to it then did not fly, except our "Moon-3" which in 1959 finished shooting a reverse side of the Moon from long distance. The theory of the American astronomer Gold Thomas was at that time accepted according to whom was considered that the Moon is covered with a dust layer 5 or 6 meters thick. Also it was not clear, whether it is possible to sit down on the Moon and the more so it is possible to go on it. I then was engaged in volcanoes, in 1961 for the first time in our country went down in an active volcano crater. Then wrote article in which considered the education mechanism craters on the Moon, and this article was published in "Reports of Academy of Sciences" about representation Sergei Pavlovich Korolyov. So I got to the lunar program. And when properties of a surface for trial runs of a moon rover were defined, on technical council passions inflamed on the fact that the lunar surface, what it, from what represents. They should have counted everything. And the last word was for Korolev. He told: "Here volcanists write me that the Moon surface slag, porous so consider a surface of the Moon firm". With such calculation also began to project. In 1969 tested the car on Shiveluch, in the 1970th – on Tolbachik.
– Now many countries, including Russian Federation, again bear ideas about expeditions on other planets. Whether it is possible to use again the Kamchatka volcanoes as ranges?
– If you the questions connected with passability, movement, passing on a surface, please interest. Though now it is already optional, now is established that the range on Tolbachik – one to one corresponds to a lunar surface.
– Volcanic activity significantly influenced education minerals. Whether process of educations minerals now proceeds? What volcanic minerals still are insufficiently developed, but thus matter for future economy?
– Mineralogenesis proceeds and now. For example, the first mineral of rhenium – ReS 2 – was open on a volcano Curly. The mineral is formed of volcanic gas. Annual carrying out of rhenium makes about 36 tons. And now there, if on all crater to count, approximately on 36 tons per year of the approved stocks. And all now with the world of 55 tons of rhenium a year get. Generally it is got as a passing material or on molybdenic fields, or on some copper.
– And where it is used?
– Most of all in the rocket, aviation, space industry – about 70 percent leave there. Still percent 20 goes to the petrochemical industry, that is in high-octane fuel receive, using platino-rhenium catalysts. A lot of rhenium is used in exact electronics.
– Volcanoes are not only new minerals, but also geothermal power which is widely applied, for example, to Iceland. But volcanic active areas remain low-populated with us, whether it is possible therefore there to develop this type of power?
– On Kamchatka territory there is a geothermal station. It around a volcano Mutnovsky, approximately in hundred kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The oldest Kamchatka geothermal station – Pauzhetskaya – near Kambalny and Koshelev's volcanoes works also. So geothermal energy and at us is used.
– you show the author of techniques by means of which it is possible to predict eruptions of volcanoes. These predictions are how exact?
– At the forecast have to be two numerical characteristics: it is date – more precisely, an interval of time of start of eruption – and reliability of the forecast. The technique of the forecast is but to provide the accuracy and reliability of forecasts, it is required to develop a network of the automated supervision, that is the corresponding financing is necessary. So, forecasting of volcanic activity is now a question not so much scientific, how many economic.
– And for what term can predict eruption?
– On volcanoes of the long-term forecast is not present, there is a long-term seismic forecast, for example: in such place in the next 30–40 years there will be an earthquake of such force. As for volcanoes, forecasts concerning their activity are representative only in those cases if supervision over a volcano has an old story. And forecasts for the near-term outlook are rather exact and depend on detail of a network of supervision. Approximately a month before eruption volcano activization is noted, in two weeks the forecast becomes even more exact. And the maximum in a week is designated an interval – in days – eruption start. In the developed countries – United States of America, Italy, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand – people do not perish from eruptions. In the same Naples which is constructed end-to-end to Vesuvius. I remember when I told that Vesuvius can wake up, the mayor Naples answered that residents will be notified beforehand, and the destroyed constructions will restore then. It not problem, and insurance question. Here therefore I also say that volcanoes are a question economic.