Tunnel Technology

Elon Musk founded the “Boring Company” which specializes in building underground tunnels. He says that underground tunnels (built with interlocking segments) are essentially “earthquake-proof” because earthquakes are primarily a surface phenomenon. The below surface tunnel can therefore remain unharmed during an earthquake (much like a submarine passing under the surface of the ocean). Elon also said that these interlocking tunnel segments seal out all types of gasses (including methane and carbon dioxide). See the video link “Tunnels are Safe in Earthquakes” for more details.

Tunnels Built like an Undersea Pipeline

An undersea pipeline is constructed in such a way that it does not have any real foundation supporting it but rather the pipeline is just laid down on the uneven seabed. In the same way, our tunnel system (comprised of interlocking segments) will be able to remain solid and uncracked even if there was shifting soil structures outside the tunnel (as in the case of melting permafrost).

Siberian Permafrost

The image above is captured from a [Kahatanga-Cleanup video] which shows an underground tunnel (which was cut out of the permafrost). The temperature is below -15C all year-round and native people even store frozen meat carcasses of reindeer in these tunnels (using it as a permanent meat freezer)!

Harvesting Carbon Dioxide for Plant Growth

The permafrost pictured above is the type of structure that we will be making our underground tunneling structures in. When permafrost melts it released carbon dioxide and it can also release methane (the same gas produced within septic tanks). However, we can develop the technology needed to capture and utilize the carbon dioxide for underground plant growth chambers (making plants grow furiously) while producing oxygen from the plants for humans. See the link “More CO2 is Good-Less is Bad” for more details.

Harvesting Methane Gas

Also methane gas is flammable (just like propane or butane gas is). This same methane can also be captured and used for energy such as heating water. Hot water can be used to keep tunnel systems warm within and the more methane that is produced from melting permafrost – the more we can utilize that gas for energy production.

Tunnels are Safe in Earthquakes

It is interesting that tunnels are also safe in earthquakes so this means they are resistant to just about any type of natural or man-made disaster that can be imagined.

Again, see the link “Tunnels are Safe in Earthquakes” for more details.