You may have heard about this project:
Jeff L. writes in WUWT Tips and Notes:
You have to see this version of climate insanity – using climate alarmism to justify drilling BILLION dollar well to the mantle. I am a geologist & I love the idea of drilling a well to the mantle, but selling it on the idea that it is some how related to climate change is COMPLETELY INSANE !!
Here’s the story, you have to read it to believe it:
http://www.iodp.org/why-does-scientific-ocean-drilling-matter-to-you
Why Does Scientific Ocean Drilling Matter To You?
Increasing population and use of resources and energy has made global environment and climate change one of the major challenges posed by the 21st century. Research on deep-sea drill cores tells a story of profound climate and environmental change of the past that helps us to better understand the nature, mechanisms and driving forces behind such changes. And therefore provides a context in which to monitor and understand the importance of ongoing changes as we see them unfold on annual to human time scale. Can the past history show how dramatic and rapid changes can be? Are there signs of imminent, major changes that can be observed? How well can we model past history of global change? Such knowledge is fundamental in order to predict how dramatic future change could be, and where it may take us in terms of changing climate zones, change of sea-level and the impact on marine and terrestrial life.
It also matters to society because many of Earth’s most dynamic processes such as violent earthquakes and volcanism takes place within the oceans. These events pose major, immediate hazards to a large number of people. Placing observatories in boreholes deep within the seabed can help us understand the cycle and frequency of earthquakes. From the drill cores scientists can glean information on the history and magnitude of seismic and volcanic events, and their impact on the environment.
Drill cores from deep within the crust below the oceans are also critical for understanding the overall dynamics and history of planet Earth. New ocean crust is constantly being formed as part of the plate tectonic cycle, and subsequently being pushed back in the Earth’s mantle along tectonic subduction zones overlain by the volcanic arcs thought to be the building place for the continental crust we live on and utilize for resources.
Ocean drilling also has discovered that microbial life extends kilometer-deep into the seabed and suggests the presence of a huge, largely unknown biomass that may offer opportunities ranging from scientific insights into the development and sustainability of life under extreme conditions to possible industrial applications of unknown genetic material.
Understanding the complex working of our planet, its interplay with life, and the potential changes to global climate and environment caused by human activity is simply no longer just an option to satisfy scientific curiosity: It has become a critical societal responsibility for sustainable development within the 21st century. This is why ocean drilling sciences matters to all of us.
The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program is a research program global in scope and participation, and the only of its kind.
Matthew W, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dalek_Invasion_of_Earth
I hope Superman can save us from the little silver-suited subterranean people that swarm out when we disturb them w/our evil drilling.
(h/t to the original Superman series pilot episode)
Apart from the fact it will be impossible to drill into the mantle, as the rocks will become ‘plastic’ and therefore impenetrable before you reach it, this makes more economic sense than most ‘climate science’ projects, as you might actually find out something useful.
Matthew W says:
“steveta_uk says:
October 9, 2012 at 2:58 am
By God these people are insane! Don’t they remeber what happened when the Daleks tried this?
======================================
What’s a “Daleks”??
I must have missed it when they tried it.”
Oh dear, a misbegotten youth spent studying climate change when you could have been really learning something important watching Doctor Who. 😉
(1st Doctor, 1964 or thereabouts, from memory.)
http://www.damninteresting.com/the-deepest-hole/
Interesting link about the Soviet borehole, and I remember the hype when that project began. The Soviets, unlike the West were doing the “important science”. The project’s funding ended in 1994, 3 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. That probably gives you a hint about the time frame required to try and reduce funding for dodgy science. Even complete economic collapse can’t stop the funding once it has legs.
Geoff Sherrington, Oct 9, 2012 @ur momisugly 4:43
“at which depth the rocks became plastic ”
This is currently impossible with current drilling technology. To say the least!!!
Casings isolations on the way down are critical to prevent excessive geopressures from the surface. But with the destination being the mantle, well the pressures and plastic wellbore deformation, along with drill bit metallurgy won’t allow going into the mantle. It’s not going to happen. And billion dollars is a small number, particularly for daily drillship costs. Drilling today is extremely slow in crystalline rock like basalt. And when things start going wrong time adds up quickly. Like when the wellbore deforms/closes in and the bit and drill pipe get stuck. Keeping drilling mud weight also becomes impossible with any highly geopressured fluids jet into the wellbore. The list goes on…..
This is a technically bizarre and nieve proposed project.
“Crack in the World”. A 60s movie. Not bad for its time with the special effects. But the premise was a little hoakey.
I’m sure it will yield some intersting data. Of course it is one pinprick in the surface of a very large Earth. Can’t imagine what that one hole in that one location will tell us about the whole earth.
You forgot the /sarc tag, a REALLY BIG one.
Commenter Dave Baker cited this Professor Challenger story back in May. I hadn’t realized then that the idea of life inside the Earth was not original with the science-fiction writer Nelson Bond. But Mr. Bond put quite a wrinkle on it. Read this story, and you will never look at the ground under your feet in quite the same way:
“And Lo! The Bird”
http://books.google.com/books?id=xP_f2lGYTXQC&pg=PA13&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false
/Mr Lynn
The MOHO Project Redux.
The comment about microbial life: as a geologist like Jeff, but perhaps he is not an oil and gas geologist, I see this as a reference to either non-biotic, i.e. mantle processes, sources of hydrocarbons.
Earth was formed out of a methane and hydrogen dominated gas with minor components of solid matter. Initially hydrogen and methane were co-mingled with that solid debris when the Earth formed. It is ASSUMED/believed that these gases were driven out of the solid Earth through time, yet there is some evidence that methane is being constantly released by the planet. Deep sea volcanic vents are known to blow out methane directly, though they lack an apparent source of biotic matter, and land-based volcanoes are known to produce large volumes of water and CO2, at least some of which could be burnt methane (there are Indonesian and other volcanoes that are just mud, CO2 and water). It could be, however, that microbial life going down into the oceanic floor is what produces all this methane. Regardless, the conventional idea of geologically based planctonic debris producing organic carbon reservoirs suitable for hydrocarbon generation could be only a partial solution to the problem of oil and gas sources. A deep well like this might – and I really mean, “might”, give credence to the idea that vast, almost limitless amounts of hydrocarbons are available, though where commercial production was possible remains to be seen.
The subsea generation of methane and CO2 would also crimp the numbers for man-made CO2 in the IPCC balance sheet. It would. unfortunately, worry the alarmists more, rather than reduce man’s horror, as the “tipping point” would be closer than they thought.
As for the rest of the “science”. Not sure. That’s why this stuff is research and experiment. If we knew what we would get, we wouldn’t need to do it.
It is hard to justify pure research. Maybe we should be happy that the guys have found some reasons they can use.
Reading their 2010 Annual Report, we can see these guys are busy little beavers…. Beavers with a BIG budget..
http://www.iodp.org/annual-report
Daleks are a sophisticated, savage, brutal, military warlike race of mutated chickens sitting inside tin cans ordering people about, threatening to exterminate everyone, are almost invincible, & want to rule the universe & are full of their own self-importance. A bit like Al Gore et al in fact. AND ONLY THE DR can beat them!!!!!!
Had another thought. Is this not some sneaky plan by you Colonials to drill down at a jaunty angle through the Earth to suck away the Russians oil from the other side? 😉
Has anyone checked to see if this voids the earth’s warrantee ?
. . . Not to mention Arthur C. Clarke’s startling tale, “The Fires Within.” It will also leave you uncertain about what lies below:
http://books.google.com/books?id=HLz1g95AXDsC&pg=PA75&lpg=PA75&dq=arthur+c+clarke+the+fires+within&source=bl&ots=AQBAdCo5Rg&sig=oBQm-g4eq77rPZdgFD1HVDTBLho&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-z10UJ7rA6SP0QHZ3IG4DQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=arthur%20c%20clarke%20the%20fires%20within&f=false
/Mr Lynn
Tony Mach says:
October 9, 2012 at 6:14 am
@Alexander Feht
“If it isn’t in the Bible, it didn’t happen.”
My last income tax bill (which I am more than happy to pay) wasn’t in the bible. So I’m off the hook then?
It just proves that if say it may help support the global warming theory, there is no limit to the budget.
Agust Bjarnason says: “Iceland..
Sarc on – Most people are unaware that Iceland’s power generating stations spew mass quantities of the deadly greenhouse gas that contributes most to the greenhouse effect. If you have any doubt, just take a look:
http://imgur.com/gallery/uwaSy
IPCC models indicate that feedback from this “hydro-pollution” is warming the arctic, melting Greenland’s glaciers and generally making climate “more extreme”. Unless Iceland immediately stops emitting this deadly green house gas and switches exclusively to wind and solar power, the UN is going to have to impose a stiff hydro-tax. – Sarc off.
This IPCC climate policy stuff is easy!
Alan the Brit says:
October 9, 2012 at 8:08 am
“Had another thought. Is this not some sneaky plan by you Colonials to drill down at a jaunty angle through the Earth to suck away the Russians oil from the other side? ;-)”
Dang, he’s on to us !!!
I think the operative word here is Plan. They are seeking funding for Planning. There will be several rounds of planning, Each iteration of the plan will be peer reviewed and published, and then additional funding would be sought to refine the next iteration of the plan. With proper care, the planning could go on almost forever. A Geology Professor, could go from grad student to retirement on this.
I suppose the original funding request was turned down. With a note saying that grants are being awarded only those who can confirm CAGW.
Despite the climate bs in the release, I think this could be interesting if done right. There is potential for learning some things about the earth’s crust and what is down there. But, intentional or not, it makes a lot of sense to have thousands of feet of water between you and the borehole. All kinds of nasty things can happen. Bet the “scientists” will be monitoring everything from a nice, comfortable distance, safe from any of the potential nasties that can happen.
Re Mike Bromley the Canucklehead says: October 9, 2012 at 5:43 am
You said the magic words – “Mohorovicic Discontinuity”. In grad school, we had to learn how to correctly pronounce Mohorovičić. As I recall, the c’s are pronounched “ch”. Re others bringing up the science fiction aspects of this project, remember that as we are drilling downward into the earth, the Mole People are drilling upward:
Heck we have these things called diatremes, which sent all sorts of bits of mantle material to the surface, where we can just go look at them.
There is already a perfectly good hole to the mantle and it was free. But since no money changed hands it surely can’t be of any value:
http://geology.com/usgs/loihi-seamount/