Posted on 04/07/2005 2:06:11 PM PDT by beezdotcom
Seeking the elusive 'Moho'
Scientist said this week they had drilled into the lower section of Earth's crust for the first time and were poised to break through to the mantle in coming years.
The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) seeks the elusive "Moho," a boundary formally known as the Mohorovicic discontinuity. It marks the division between Earth's brittle outer crust and the hotter, softer mantle.
The depth of the Moho varies. This latest effort, which drilled 4,644 feet (1,416 meters) below the ocean seafloor, appears to have been 1,000 feet off to the side of where it needed to be to pierce the Moho, according to one reading of seismic data used to map the crust's varying thickness.
The new hole, which took nearly eight weeks to drill, is the third deepest ever made. The rock collection brought back to the surface is providing new information about the planet's composition.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Actually, I don't watch very many movies. I was thinking more in terms of the possible (unintended) consequences to the tectonic plates. But I confess openly I'm not a geologist.
Sounds great but tell me, are you an energy expert or did you just stay in a Holiday inn express?
I say we need to drill under Saudi Arabia and pump the oil from beneath them....;-)
I'm not sure, but I think I'll stand back a little when they break through --- like about 500 miles back.
The CUSS I consortium did start this project in 1961 and the group later became Global Marine Drilling Company. As soon as LBJ realized what was going on and how long they could milk this, the project was turned over to Brown and Root. George Brown being a good democrat, and LBJ's puppet master, the MSM ignored the fact and Brown made millions but accomplished very little.
I have been wondering if this is the approach we should take with the Yellowstone Caldera...
Caldera's are dangerous because gasses build up in the lava and build up such an extreme pressure that once the chamber cracks... all those trapped gasses are no longer under pressure and escape instantaneously creating unimagionable explosions...
Think of it sort of as a shaken up pop can.. as long as the can is sealed, no problem once its opened however, KABLOOEY.
I have wondered if tapping the chambers an controlling somehow the release of the pressure/gasses might help prevent those multi megaton explosions every few hundred thousand years...
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