Desalination

As noted on the energy page, the Marshall Hydrothermal Recovery System brings massive quantites of hydrothermal fluid to the surface. Its temperature is incredibly high, hot enough to melt lead, but it does not boil because of the intense pressures at the depths where the vents are located. The volumes noted show about 76,000,000 liters, or 20,000,000 gallons of fluid brought to the surface every hour. As it rises through the insulated pipe structure and the ambient pressure decreases, it will flash to steam, which can be distilled back into fresh water.

While several additional stages of purification will likely be necessary, the natural heat from the process itself provides the most important part of the energy needed for the process. If only 50% of the total volume could be recovered, that would still provide about a billion liters, or 264,000,000 gallons of fresh water daily.