The USSR’s Kola Superdeep Borehole project, initiated in the 1970s, reached a depth of 12.2 kilometers—about one-third of Earth’s crust—over 20 years. This ambitious endeavor uncovered ancient fossils and unexpected water deposits but ultimately faced limitations due to extreme heat and pressure, causing the borehole to collapse before reaching deeper layers.
Related Posts
‘It’s not game over – it’s game on’: why 2024 is an inflection point for the climate crisis
Wesley Morgan, Griffith University In 2024, global climate trends are cause for both deep alarm and cautious optimism.…
February 6, 2024
We built an AI model that analysed millions of images of retreating glaciers – what it found is alarming
BEST-BACKGROUNDS / shutterstock / NASA Tian Li, University of Bristol; Jonathan Bamber, University of Bristol, and Konrad Heidler,…
January 28, 2025
Bad news for the 2022 hurricane season: The Loop Current, a fueler of monster storms, is looking a lot like it did in 2005, the year of Katrina
An image from satellite data shows the strong Loop Current and swirling eddies. Christopher Henze, NASA/Ames Nick Shay,…
June 22, 2022
Bridgmanite Is Earth’s Most Common Mineral. Why Can’t I Find It?
Bridgmanite is the most common mineral on Earth, making up 38% of the planet’s volume. It exists in…
October 19, 2024
