The deepest hole we have ever dug | The Kola Superdeep Borehole

Summary

The Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, the deepest artificial point on Earth at 7.5 miles, was a scientific endeavor to study the Earth's crust. Despite encountering higher temperatures than expected, the project revealed new information about Earth's interior, including ancient fossils and the presence of liquid water under extreme pressure. The quest to reach the mantle continues, with international collaboration aiming to unlock the geological secrets of our planet's formation and the origins of life.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia is the deepest artificial point on Earth, reaching approximately 7.5 miles (12,262 meters) below the surface.
• 🔥 The drilling project was halted at 7.5 miles due to unexpectedly high temperatures of around 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit), which deformed the drill bits and pipes.
• 🔩 The project began with the aim of drilling as deep as possible, with expectations of reaching around 9 miles (14,500 meters).
• 🚧 The borehole is only 9 inches (23 centimeters) in diameter, making it impossible for a person to fall into it.
• ⏳ It took about 20 years to reach the depth of the Kola Superdeep Borehole, which was drilled for scientific research purposes.
• 🔬 The drilling revealed that the Earth's interior temperature map needed updating, as they encountered hotter temperatures earlier than anticipated.
• 🦠 At 4.4 miles (7 kilometers) down, scientists discovered two-billion-year-old fossils of single-celled marine organisms.
• 💧 Liquid water was found at depths far greater than previously thought possible, suggesting it may have been squeezed out of rock crystals due to high pressures.
• 🌐 Other deep drilling projects around the world have various purposes, including resource extraction and scientific research, such as the search for neutrinos.
• 🌋 The goal of reaching the Earth's mantle is driven by the desire to understand geological history, the causes of earthquakes, and the origins of life on Earth.
• 💼 The latest effort to reach the mantle, led by the Center for Deep Earth Exploration and involving international collaboration, is expected to take decades and cost around 1 billion dollars.

Q & A

科拉超深钻孔位于哪个国家？

科拉超深钻孔位于俄罗斯。

科拉超深钻孔的深度是多少？

科拉超深钻孔的深度约为7.5英里（12,262米），是迄今为止人类挖掘的最深孔。

科拉超深钻孔的挖掘目的是什么？

科拉超深钻孔的挖掘主要是出于科学研究的目的，苏联科学家希望通过钻探来了解更多关于地球外层，即地壳的形成和演化过程。

科拉超深钻孔的挖掘过程中遇到了哪些挑战？

在挖掘过程中，科学家们遇到了预期之外的高温，达到了356华氏度（约180摄氏度），这比他们预期的212华氏度（100摄氏度）要高得多。此外，岩石在高温下变得更具塑性，使得钻探变得极其困难。

科拉超深钻孔的挖掘工作为何停止？

科拉超深钻孔的挖掘工作在1992年停止，主要是因为遇到了过高的温度和岩石塑性变形，以及资金问题。

科拉超深钻孔的直径是多少？

科拉超深钻孔的直径只有9英寸（约23厘米）。

科拉超深钻孔的挖掘工作开始和结束的时间是什么时候？

科拉超深钻孔的挖掘工作始于1970年5月24日，并于1994年结束。

科拉超深钻孔的挖掘过程中有哪些重要发现？

在挖掘过程中，科学家们发现地球内部的温度图需要更新，因为他们遇到了比预期更高的温度。此外，他们还发现了2亿年前的单细胞海洋生物化石，以及在比预期更深的地方发现了液态水。

科拉超深钻孔目前的状态如何？

科拉超深钻孔目前被一个生锈的金属帽封闭，现场处于废弃状态。

除了科拉超深钻孔，还有其他深度超过10,000米的钻孔吗？

是的，除了科拉超深钻孔，还有其他深度超过10,000米的钻孔，例如卡塔尔的阿肖辛油井（12,289米）和俄罗斯萨哈林岛附近的海上油井（12,345米）。