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Friday, August 9, 2024

https://youtu.be/H_997chpSR0

Geologists have achieved a groundbreaking feat by drilling a record-breaking 1,268-meter core sample from Earth's crust, revealing significant insights into the mantle. The core, extracted from the Atlantis Massif under the Atlantic Ocean, consists primarily of serpentinized oceanic mantle peridotite. This achievement is notable because it provides a nearly continuous recovery of the upper mantle's lithological, mineralogical, structural, and alteration characteristics. The process of serpentinization, where seawater chemically alters the rock, was observed extensively in the sample, with even the least-altered peridotite being 40% transformed. Despite this alteration, the core preserved the primary rock composition better than shallower samples, offering new information about the mantle beneath the massif. The drilling operation, led by a team including geologist Kuan-Yu Lin, initially planned to reach a depth of 200 meters but extended significantly due to unexpectedly high recovery rates. The core sample revealed a lower pyroxene content than anticipated, possibly due to pyroxene dissolution upon heating. Additionally, the presence of gabbro intrusions indicated intense changes related to hydrothermal exposure, suggesting gabbro's role in the fluid geochemistry of hydrothermal vents. This research, part of Expedition 399, highlights the importance of drilling in advancing our understanding of Earth's subsurface, particularly the chemistry and biology of off-axis hydrothermal systems. P. Geo. Ricardo A Valls, M. Sc. and Geo Gadfly Valls Geoconsultant ORCID ID- https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5421-0914 Scopus Author ID: 7003369619/35335510700 ResearcherID: S-6604-2018 If you like this content, please "buy me a coffee" https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goldendroplets

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