Scientists have drilled the deepest ever into rock from Earth’s mantle using the marine drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution. The drilling went 4,160 feet (1,268 meters) below the Atlantic seafloor. This drilling has produced a large sample of rock from the mantle, the most voluminous layer of the Earth. This cylindrical core sample will provide information about the structure and chemical reactions of the upper part of the mantle.
The rocks of the mantle layer are at such a depth that they are difficult to obtain. However, there are some places on the sea floor where these mantle rocks are visible. One such place is the Atlantis Massif, an underwater mound or mountain where mantle rock is exposed on the ocean floor. Atlantis Massif is located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, just west of the massive Mid-Atlantic Ridge that forms the boundary between the North American Plate and the Eurasian and African plates. Using instruments on the JOIDES Resolution ship, researchers drilled into mantle rock below the ocean surface. The core sample they recovered contains more than 70% rock.
Mantle Layer
- The mantle is the solidest part of the Earth’s interior.
- The mantle lies between the Earth’s dense, super-hot core and its thin outer layer, the crust.
- The mantle is about 2,900 kilometers (1,802 miles) thick, and makes up 84 percent of the Earth’s total volume. It is a layer of silicate rock.