Table of Contents
What is the advantage of drilling through the ocean floor instead of a continent?
The ability to drill deep into the seafloor has increased our understanding of the role of fluid flow within ocean sediments and basement rock, espe- cially how hydrogeologic systems are con- nected within the ocean crust.
Why do geologists drill through the oceanic crust in their attempt to reach the mantle?
Due to its unique geology, the ocean is relatively shallow in this area and the mantle rises close to the surface, making it easier to access. It also means there are less hard-to-crack crustal rocks, which have thwarted previous attempts to access this part of the Earth’s crust.
What happened to the deepest hole on Earth?
The Earth’s crust is broken into many smaller plates that slide very slowly over a more mobile or ‘plastic’ material called the asthenosphere. The deepest hole within the U.S. is the Bertha Rogers gas well in Oklahoma at 32,000 feet (6 miles) deep. The well was halted because it struck molten sulfur.
Why did Russia stop drilling the Kola Superdeep borehole?
Drilling was stopped in August 1994 at 8,578 m (28,143 ft) due to lack of funds and the well itself was mothballed. Because of higher-than-expected temperatures at this depth and location, 180 °C (356 °F) instead of the expected 100 °C (212 °F), drilling deeper was deemed unfeasible.
Why is deep Sea Drilling important?
The Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) was an ocean drilling project operated from 1968 to 1983. DSDP provided crucial data to support the seafloor spreading hypothesis and helped to prove the theory of plate tectonics.
Is Superdeep based on a true story?
Superdeep is a no-holds-barred Russian sci-fi horror film that is loosely based on the real-life Kola Superdeep Borehole. Superdeep follows Anya (Milena Radulovic), a scientist who suffers from guilt after testing a vaccine on a patient and accidentally causing his death.
Did the Kola Superdeep Borehole reach the mantle?
It took the Soviets almost 20 years to drill this far, but the drill bit was still only about one-third of the way through the crust to the Earth’s mantle when the project came grinding to a halt in the chaos of post-Soviet Russia. The Soviets’ superdeep borehole isn’t alone.
Which is the deepest borehole in the Earth?
The deepest penetration of the Earth’s surface is the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia at 40,230 feet. Originally a Soviet project and a source of pride for the USSR, the aim was simply to drill as deep as possible into the Earth’s crust. The borehole is 9 inches in diameter.
How long did it take to drill the deepest hole in the Earth?
It took the Soviets almost 20 years to drill this far, but the drill bit was still only about one-third of the way through the crust to the Earth’s mantle when the project came grinding to a halt in the chaos of post-Soviet Russia. The Soviets’ superdeep borehole isn’t alone.
Where was the hole dug in the Pacific Ocean?
The team drilled a hole nearly 5 miles (8,000 m) below the Pacific Ocean’s surface to study the region’s earthquake history. The research vessel Kaimei cruises the Pacific Ocean near the Japan Trench.
When did they start drilling into the Earth’s crust?
Originally a Soviet project and a source of pride for the USSR, the aim was simply to drill as deep as possible into the Earth’s crust. The borehole is 9 inches in diameter. The project began in 1965 and terminated in 1995 when unexpectedly porous rock and high temperatures at this depth (356 o F) made drilling unfeasible.