THE UTILIZATION OF VOLCANIC STEAM IN ITALY » 



[With 2 plates] 



The increased desire for economic independence that accom- 

 panied the growth of national sentiment during the war has been 

 shown very clearly in the intensified study and exploitation of nat- 

 ural resources ; and the welkin is still ringing with cries of " increase 

 production," " back to the land," and " keep the home fires burning." 

 Examples of this world tendency are apparent everywhere; in cen- 

 tral Europe, particularly, brown coal, water power, and minerals 

 have been greatly developed; in tropical countries useful vegetable 

 products have been increasingly exploited; and in many lands the 

 rush for petroleum has gathered momentum. Very little, however, 

 has been heard as yet of attempts to utilize the interior heat of the 

 earth, which many believe to be one of the most important potential 

 sources of energy. Only in Italy has a definite and successful effort 

 been made in this direction, namely, by utilizing the natural steam 

 which emerges from the earth in volcanic districts. The jets of steam 

 (" soffioni ") and the pools of water,, formed in small craters and 

 maintained at boiling temperature by natural steam ("lagoni"), 

 have been known for centuries, but for long were regarded by the 

 peasants as manifestations of unseen and unfriendly powers. The 

 discovery in them of boric acid in 1790, the extraction of this acid on 

 a commercial scale since 1818, and in particular the recent pioneer 

 work of Prince Ginori Conti, in association with the Societa, Boraci- 

 fera di Larderello, have completely transformed the picture, and re- 

 vealed a source of wealth which may play an important part, not only 

 in the future industrial development of Italy, but also in that of 

 other countries that are blessed — and at times cursed — with volcanic 

 activity. 



The district which has been selected for study and exploitation 

 forms, roughly, an elliptical area of about 2.5 square miles, lying 

 south of Volterra and from 40 to 50 miles south-southwest of Flor- 

 ence. In this part of Tuscany works for generating electrical power 

 and for producing boric acid and other chemicals have been erected at 

 Larderello, Castelnuovo, Sasso, Monterotundo, Lago, Lustignano, 

 Sarrazzano, and to the eastward at Travale. The works are situated 

 at the bases of hills dividing the valleys of the rivers Cecina and Cor- 



1 Reprinted, by permission, from Nature, Jan. 12, 1924. 



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