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Traveling to the Earth's core will soon become a reality
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Just a few decades ago, travel to the center of the Earth was something that could only be read about in science fiction books. However, scientists are planning to set out on such a voyage soon.
Oceanographers representing the National British Centre of the University of Southampton have set themselves the goal of organizing a unique excursion to the earth's center. For this, scientists will presumably use the Japanese underwater drilling apparatus "Chikyu" (translated from Japanese as "to lay a route").
The trip is not just planned out of curiosity: the specialists need to analyze the structure and condition of the crack in the earth's crust that caused the devastating Tohoku earthquake last year. Scientists will pay attention to the presence of cause-and-effect relationships with this phenomenon, and will also begin collecting data for subsequent experiments - for example, to study the earth's evolution and structural features of the planet.
Inside the Earth, experts may discover many secrets that could only be guessed at before. Thus, it is possible that new unique types of bacteria will be discovered that can live and develop at high temperatures.
British geologists note that the Earth's mantle, which represents almost 70% of the planet's total mass, remains virtually unexplored. This opinion of experts was confirmed by Dr. Damon Tiegley: "During the entire period of studying the Earth, scientists have not obtained a single pure sample of the subsoil. I really want this situation to change."
To pave the way deep into the Earth, geologists propose releasing a special tool in the form of a drill and a drill bit that can withstand the highest possible temperature and the highest possible pressure. The tools that scientists used earlier turned out to be too fragile and weak, and failed after only fifty hours of work. For this reason, specialists have so far managed to pass only an incomplete third of the planned path.
The material side of this issue is planned to be resolved this year: it is assumed that the estimated cost of such a "trip" will be equal to one billion dollars. The overall implementation of the project is planned for 2030.
Previously, it was considered absolutely impossible to implement such a project, because the Earth's mantle is a giant layer, approximately three thousand kilometers thick, with an extremely high temperature (about four thousand degrees Celsius) and colossal pressure. The pressure inside the planet is so high that the particles of matter are maximally compacted and are in a motionless state. However, the currently unsolved mysteries and secrets of the structural formation of our planet force scientists to make more and more efforts for new discoveries. And the planned experiment with a journey deep into the Earth gives hope that humanity will once again prove: the impossible is possible.
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