This record-breaking core sample is offering new and detailed insights into the composition and chemical processes of Earth’s mantle, its largest layer.
**In Short**
– The mantle constitutes over 80% of Earth’s volume, lying between the outer crust and the hot core.
– Scientists have reached a record depth of 4,160 feet (1,268 meters) below the Atlantic seabed, obtaining the deepest core sample from Earth’s mantle.
– The core sample, collected from the Atlantis Massif underwater mountain, provides new insights into how the mineral olivine interacts with seawater and sheds light on early life processes on Earth.
– The mantle, making up over 80% of Earth’s volume, lies between the outer crust and core and is typically hard to access.
– Researchers drilled 2,800 feet (850 meters) beneath the ocean surface from April to June 2023, retrieving a core sample that is 2,907 feet (886 meters) long, a record-breaking achievement.
– This sample, collected from the Atlantis Massif near the mid-Atlantic Ridge, provides new insights into how the mineral olivine reacts with seawater and could shed light on the origins of life on Earth by forming methane and other compounds.
– The recovered mantle rocks allow detailed study of chemical reactions across various temperatures.
– The drill site near the Lost City Hydrothermal Field, known for its super-heated vents, may reflect mantle conditions similar to early Earth environments.
– Preliminary analysis shows unexpected melting history and varied abundance of the mineral orthopyroxene, linked to volcanic processes.
– Ongoing analysis of the core sample promises more insights into Earth’s deep interior and its geological and biological history.
