The $1 billion mission to reach the Earth's mantle

[YosemiteSam]

Interesting.

=========================================

(CNN) -- Humans have reached the moon and are planning to return samples from Mars, but when it comes to exploring the land deep beneath our feet, we have only scratched the surface of our planet.

This may be about to change with a $1 billion mission to drill 6 km (3.7 miles) beneath the seafloor to reach the Earth's mantle -- a 3000 km-thick layer of slowly deforming rock between the crust and the core which makes up the majority of our planet -- and bring back the first ever fresh samples.

It could help answer some of our biggest questions about the origins and evolution of Earth itself, with almost all of the sea floor and continents that make up the Earth´s surface originating from the mantle.

Geologists involved in the project are already comparing it to the Apollo Moon missions in terms of the value of the samples it could yield.

Complete Story

 

[RastaRocket]

So we're going to drill our own Volcano?

 

[Doomsday101]

The the earth deflates? Is this happening on Dec 21, 2012? :laugh2:

 

[CashMan]

This, just sounds like a terrible idea.

 

[YosemiteSam]

This, just sounds like a terrible idea.

Why? There is an enormous amount of information that can be obtained by doing this. Doing this makes perfect sense unless you prefer not to learn anything. That sounds like a terrible idea.

 

[CashMan]

Why? There is an enormous amount of information that can be obtained by doing this. Doing this makes perfect sense unless you prefer not to learn anything. That sounds like a terrible idea.

I am all for exploring, but this sounds like something, were something major could go wrong. Kinda like the difference between getting in a car accident at 25mph vs 70mph.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I am all for exploring, but this sounds like something, were something major could go wrong. Kinda like the difference between getting in a car accident at 25mph vs 70mph.

It's a small hole and they are drilling it in the middle of the ocean. If something goes wrong, lava comes up. Hit the sea water, cools then plugs up the hole.

I would be more worried about scientist creating black holes here on Earth. :laugh2:

 

[Future]

Maybe they should start here
[youtube]BOPMEIc2YKA[/youtube]
Or here:
[youtube]Hw-lCOHbya8[/youtube]

:laugh2:

 

[vta]

Where is the protect the earth crowd now?

 

[YosemiteSam]

Where is the protect the earth crowd now?

Wait, we are poking holes in their theory.

 

[vta]

Wait, we are poking holes in their theory.

Maybe they'll chain themselves to the bottom of the ocean to protest...

 

[Phoenix]

BAAAAAD idea. They're either gonna unleash "the thing", find lurking Predators, or find a long-dormant global-killer bacteria.

 

[Doomsday101]

BAAAAAD idea. They're either gonna unleash "the thing", find lurking Predators, or find a long-dormant global-killer bacteria.

Yes but if you do it in the name of science then it is alright. :laugh2:

 

[iceberg]

i can just see us digging a hole, hitting a huge cave, and lowering the sea level a few feet.

 

[YosemiteSam]

i can just see us digging a hole, hitting a huge cave, and lowering the sea level a few feet.

That cave would have to be enormous to lower the ocean even a single foot.

The Earth's oceans cover about 3,608,687,080,000,000 square feet or 139,433,845 square miles. Since the oceans would have to drop a foot, that would mean cube it.

In other words, to drop the ocean one foot, the cave would have to be 139,433,845 cubic miles in volume. Basically, half the size of Texas and then just as deep as half the size of Texas. Two feet? Make that THE size of Texas! :laugh2:

 

[Reality]

I hear Apple just won a $1 billion settlement .. perhaps they can invent iDig

#reality