Japanese scientists to drill in to the mantle

[UM-Bot]

The aim will be to drill all the way down through the Earth's crust for the first time in history.

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/306375/japanese-scientists-to-drill-in-to-the-mantle

[pallidin]

I don't know my geology, but, wondering if this is safe.

[LV-426]

Drilling 35 kilometers through the Earth's crust? Sounds like a pipe dream...

*awaits groans*

[spud the mackem]

Those who play with fire , often get burned...

[GlitterRose]

Someone obviously thought this was a good idea. I just don't know who that would be.

[torchwoodchi]

Isn't that where hell is?

[GlitterRose]

1 hour ago, torchwoodchi said:

Isn't that where hell is?

It will be when the megaquake hits. I'd laugh, but that's not even funny.

[coolguy]

This could open a can of worms, i hope they dont do it

[Scrunchkruckets]

I cant believe nobody done this already

[Almighty Evan]

The Kola Superdeep Borehole (Russian: Кольская сверхглубокая скважина, Kolskaya sverkhglubokaya skvazhina) is the result of a scientific drilling project of the Soviet Union in the Pechengsky District, on the Kola Peninsula. The project attempted to drill as deep as possible into the Earth's crust. Drilling began on 24 May 1970 using the Uralmash-4E, and later the Uralmash-15000 series drilling rig. Boreholes were drilled by branching from a central hole. The deepest, SG-3, reached 12,262 metres (40,230 ft) in 1989 and still is the deepest artificial point on Earth.[1] The borehole is 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kola_Superdeep_Borehole

[fred_mc]

I think they are trying to find Gojira ;-) .

[pallidin]

Perhaps my silly fear of this drilling is with respect to the calculated dangers of hitting a magma source.

For example, at Yellowstone National Park in the U.S., home to a truly massive magma chamber (aka Super Volcano), drilling is restricted and regulated for fear that artificial venting could make the chamber very unstable.

Granted, the area of the proposed drilling for this issue is not within Yellowstone and does not, presumably, contain a massive magma chamber.

So all would be good and much science can be derived, I suppose.

Just hope the site geologists and technologists are firmly agreed as to "no unmanageable danger"

I suppose they are.

Speaking of which, I would be much more impressed with ultra-deep drilling through Antarctica ice, as apparently Antarctica was once positioned on Earth in a tropical zone.

[highdesert50]

The Icelandic Deep Drilling Project had contact with magma in 2009 and lead to some explorative research on supercritical steam and power generation. I believe they are currently pursuing a second project destined for five kilometers by the end of the year, again to further their geothermal power production.

[keithisco]

I believe that there have been several projects along these lines going back to the MOHOle project in 1961. Later decades saw other schemes but it was considered highly debatable just what new data could be obtained from such an enterprise. Mantle magma samples are regularly extruded through surface vulanism and a lot easier to obtain.

[James McCraken]

don't kill us D: