I know that almost every child has, but has anyone ever tried to dig to the center of the Earth on a large scale? If so, how far down did they get? If not, why do you think no one has done that?
I'm curious to find out how scientists know that the center of the Earth is a solid core surrounded by molten lava if no one has dug that deep.
I know that's more like four questions, but I want to be as specific as possible.
2007-06-12 13:29:18 · 10 answers · asked by Sam 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
see: http://www.nas.edu/history/mohole/
Project Mohole was an attempt to retrieve a sample of material from the earth's mantle by drilling a hole through the earth's crust to the Mohorovicic Discontinuity, or Moho. The project was suggested in March 1957 by Walter Munk, NAS member (1956) and member of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Earth Science Panel.
2007-06-12 14:16:36 · answer #1 · answered by gatorbait 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you are another person who has no conception of the size of the Earth.
As I understand, the deepest anyone has dug is about 12 miles in a South African diamond mine.
That's 12 miles of nearly 4000.
And down at 12 miles it begins to get very hot. At hundreds of miles (still not anywhere, really), anything we could use to dig would melt.
The makeup of the interior of the Earth is discovered by seismic means - scientists create artifical tremors and they can analyse the sesimic waves that are echoed from the depths of the Earth.
They surmise that the Earth has an Iron core because iron must be down there in quantity to produce the Earth's magentism. Also, if all the Earth was made of of crustal and mantle material, the Earth would only weigh about 60% of what it does weigh. The difference is that the densest material is at the core, and iron fits the equation.
Are you aware also that even in the ocean, scientists and explorers have only been down to the deepest depths (about 10 miles) a handful of times.
It is in fact safer to go into space that burrow miles down into the Earth or dive to the deepest parts of the ocean.
2007-06-12 21:46:32 · answer #2 · answered by nick s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Scientists acknowledge that the centre of the earth is impossible with known technology but there have been attempts to reach the mantle. Todate the deepest hole has been about 35,000 feet at which point technology or money ran out.
2007-06-12 20:58:06 · answer #3 · answered by geoaussie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Scientists know that the inner core is solid and the outer core is liquid by the study of seismic waves from earthquakes. One type of wave, P wave, can travel through solids, liquids and gases. Another type of seismic wave, the S wave, can travel through solids only. These waves can and do travel through the earth. However, only P waves are detected on the opposite side of the earth from the focus of the earthquake. No S waves are detected. Also involved in this study is the fact that the speed of seismic waves change as they travel from one medium such as a solid through another medium such as a liquid. The change in the speed and refraction of the P waves travelling through the earth provides more evidence enabled scientists to say that the outer core is liquid and the inner core is solid.
I know that I did not answer your first question; however, others before me gave you accurate answers.
2007-06-12 20:37:21 · answer #4 · answered by Curiosity 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
NO. They find what's at the center due S[secondary] and P[primary] waves. The same waves are emited during an Earthquake. The waves can travel through liquid and soild.
2007-06-13 00:10:35 · answer #5 · answered by archangel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
um no one in this day and age can dig to the center of the earth because basically they would be melted by the magma and the intense pressure would crush them
they use radioactive tracers to test the makeup of the rock
2007-06-12 20:33:42 · answer #6 · answered by hpgrass92 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I did! Well.. I tried! When I was 6, I dug this huge hole in the backyard till a great amount of water started to sprout out of a pipe.
Though I had a little mud pond all to my self, the house was out of water of a week.
2007-06-12 20:43:07 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
many scientists have tried using diamond drills. They melt a little more/less than a mile down.
2007-06-12 20:37:01 · answer #8 · answered by koolksmart55 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
only in the movies, I think it is too hot and even if you could you would probably be crushed long before you reached the center
2007-06-13 08:25:32 · answer #9 · answered by Samantha 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh yeah, they tried...
http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=567
2007-06-12 20:33:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋