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
Continental drift: why the need for critical minerals might change the way we define Earth’s zones
Office of Ocean Exploration and Research/NOAA, CC BY-SA Rupert Sutherland, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington…
How to Study a Three-Century-Old Earthquake
Scientists pinpointed the exact date of a massive 1700 earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone by analyzing Japan’s…
Do the northern lights make sounds that you can hear?
John A Davis/Shutterstock Fiona Amery, University of Cambridge It’s a question that has puzzled observers for centuries: do…
NASA’s Psyche mission to a metal world may reveal the mysteries of Earth’s interior
An illustration of the asteroid Psyche, orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. 24K-Production/iStock via Getty Images Plus Jim Bell,…