Since ancient times people have tried to understand the structure of the bowels of the planet. However, for a long time to drill the earth's firmament more than a few hundred meters could not - was not the necessary equipment. Therefore, all ideas about Earth's internal structure is based mainly on theoretical calculations, which has not yet been confirmed by experimental data.
According to conventional wisdom, the earth is composed of three major layers: core, mantle and crust. In the center of the nucleus is divided by an internal solid area ( radius of about 1300 km ) and the liquid outer core radius of about 2200 km, among which stands out is sometimes a transition zone. It is believed that this area of the planet is composed of iron-nickel alloy.
Next is the mantle - a layer consisting of silicates of magnesium, iron, calcium and other metals. It extends from depths of 5-70 km below the Earth's crust, to the border with the nucleus at a depth of 2900 km. It is believed that the mantle is hot enough, and in some layers of the substance remains in the molten state.
The upper layers of the mantle in contact with the earth's crust - thus a layer in which we actually live and. The thickness of the outer shell varies from a few kilometers ( in oceanic areas) up to several tens of kilometers ( in the mountainous regions of the continents ). Field of the Earth's crust is very small, it accounts for only about 0.5% of the total mass of the planet. The basic structure of the cortex - is oxides of silicon, aluminum, iron and alkali metals.
It is believed that the composition of the continental crust, comprising a top layer of sediment ( granite ) and bottom ( basalt ), are the most ancient rocks of the Earth, whose age is estimated at more than 3 billion years. The oceanic crust is a young and thin - a savings deposits (their age is not more than 100-150 million years ) has only one layer, similar in composition to basaltic.
It turns out that for the time of its existence, people are not really able to explore even the earth's crust, and only that would ' feel ' the mantle or the core, so this for many years one of the scientists did not dare even to dream. However, in the middle of the twentieth century, the necessary equipment for such research has finally been developed, and the dream began to turn into reality.
Projects journey deep into the earth began in the early 60s of last century in several countries. Tried to drill in those places where the crust had to be thinner, since the purpose of this drilling was to reach the mantle, kotoruyu-to, in fact, going to study in detail.
For example, Americans were drilled near the island of Maui, Hawaii, where, according to seismic studies, ancient rock out under the ocean floor and the mantle is approximately at a depth of five kilometers (under chetyrehkilometrovoy water column ). However, none of ocean drilling deeper than 3 km could not get through.
In general, almost all projects ultradeep wells mysteriously ended at a depth of three kilometers. It was at this point with the Boers began to be something strange: they fall into unexpected areas with a high temperature, they seemed a bit off the mysterious underworld demon. So in most cases could not even learn of the deep layers of the earth's crust, not to mention the mantle, the study of which, strictly speaking, and represented the true purpose of this research.
And then, in 1970 on the Kola Peninsula has been the drilling of the well-known Kola borehole. The point chosen for this drilling location of the peninsula is not accidental - the peninsula is located on the so-called Baltic Shield, which is composed of the oldest breeds known to man. Work at the site were from 1970 to 1992. During that time managed to ' pierce ' the earth's crust at 12 262 m.
Interestingly, when in 1984 took place in Moscow International Geological Congress, which presented the first results of the well, many scientists jokingly offered to immediately bury it because it destroys all of the structure of the crust. Indeed, the strangeness began in the early stages of penetration. For example, theorists have yet to start drilling promised that the temperature of the Baltic Shield remain relatively low to a depth of at least 15 kilometers. Accordingly, the hole can be dug up almost 20 kilometers, just prior to mantle.
However, at a depth of five kilometers of the ambient temperature is exceeded for the 700C, the seven - for the 1200C, and at a depth of 12 kilometers of sensors already recorded 2200C - 1000C higher than predicted by. The explanation for this phenomenon, scientists still have not found.
The well also confirmed the view of the device in the likeness of the crust layer cake - first sedimentary rocks, then granite, basalt and below. However, according to the drillers, granites were on the 3 km lower than expected, scientists. A basalt layer generally absent - 6 kilometers penetrated only through the granite. Scientists believe that the Kola drillers, without realizing it, have done Extremely open to all mankind.
Kola ultradeep borehole researchers presented another surprise: life on Earth originated, it appears, at 1.5 billion years earlier than expected. At depths where it was thought that there was no organic matter, found 14 species of fossilized microorganisms, and in fact the age of the deep layers of greater than 2.8 billion years. But, most surprisingly, an even greater depths, where there is no sediment was found methane gas in large concentrations. This is completely and utterly destroyed the theory of biological origin, hydrocarbons such as oil and gas.
On the Kola borehole have also been linked not only scientific sensation, but the mysterious legends, most of which turned out to be journalists when checking fiction. According to one of them (the birth of the author reports a Finnish newspaper), in the very thick of the earth at a depth of more than 12,000 meters, microphones, scientists recorded the cries and moans.
Journalists do not even thinking about that stick to such a depth mic just is not possible (which record the device can operate at a temperature of over two hundred degrees?) Wrote about the fact that the drillers had heard ' a voice from hell '. After these publications, the Kola super-deep well was called ' the road to hell ', arguing that every new kilometer drilled brought misfortune country.
They said that when the drillers were driving of thirteen thousand feet, the Soviet Union collapsed. Well, when the well was drilled to a depth of 14.5 km (which actually happened ), he suddenly came upon a strange emptiness. Intrigued by this unexpected discovery, the drillers went down a microphone, capable of operating at extremely high temperatures, and other sensors. The temperature inside the supposedly reached 1,100 ° C - a fiery heat of the chambers in which, supposedly, you could hear the cries of men.
This legend still roams the vast expanses of the Internet, having gone through the very culprit of gossip - the Kola borehole. Work on it stopped in 1992 due to lack of funding. Until 2008 it was in caretaker status. Two years ago, it was finally decided to abandon further research and to dismantle the entire research and development complex, but well - ' bury '. Final disposition of the well occurred this summer.
So, as you can see, this time scientists could not get to the mantle and to investigate its. However, this does not mean that the Kola borehole did not let science - on the contrary, she turned all of their ideas about the structure of the crust. Perhaps to get even deeper researchers will present the current oil well Maersk Oil ( 12 290 meters deep - which is 28 meters deep Kola ), which is located in the oil basin of the Al- Shaheen, Qatar.
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