OT: Crust Missing

[Atrocities]

Earth's Crust Missing In Mid-Atlantic
Science Daily — Cardiff University scientists will shortly set sail (March 5) to investigate a startling discovery in the depths of the Atlantic.


A drill will be used to extract samples of the exposed mantle.


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Scientists have discovered a large area thousands of square kilometres in extent in the middle of the Atlantic where the Earth’s crust appears to be missing. Instead, the mantle - the deep interior of the Earth, normally covered by crust many kilometres thick - is exposed on the seafloor, 3000m below the surface.

Marine geologist Dr Chris MacLeod, School of Earth, Ocean and Planetary Sciences said: "This discovery is like an open wound on the surface of the Earth. Was the crust never there? Was it once there but then torn away on huge geological faults? If so, then how and why?"

To answer some of these questions Dr MacLeod with a team of scientists, led by marine geophysicist Professor Roger Searle, Durham University, will travel to the area which lies mid-way between the Cape Verde Islands and the Caribbean.

The expedition will be the inaugural research cruise of a new UK research ship RRS James Cook. The team intends to use sonars to image the seafloor and then take rock cores using a robotic seabed drill. The samples will provide a rare opportunity to gain insights into the workings of the mantle deep below the surface of the Earth.

Progress of the cruise can be monitored via a live web link to the ship:

http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/gg/classroom@sea/JC007/

[Kamog]

That is weird. I don't know anything about geology but I thought the mantle is very hot and molten. If there's a hole in the crust, wouldn't you get a volcanic eruption?

[douglas]

I'd guess the immense pressure of three kilometers of water above it is preventing such an eruption. What puzzles me is how this area of exposed mantle hasn't cooled off because of its direct contact with ocean water and solidified, becoming part of the crust in the process.

[AgentZero]

It's the Phong. Mark my words, they're up to something.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Or it could be a hoax.

[Atrocities]

narf poit chez BOOM said:
Or it could be a hoax.

I think Narf is correct here. Come one with something like this you would expect it to be front page environmental "end of the world" stuff, yet we hear nothing.

[NullAshton]

douglas said:
I'd guess the immense pressure of three kilometers of water above it is preventing such an eruption. What puzzles me is how this area of exposed mantle hasn't cooled off because of its direct contact with ocean water and solidified, becoming part of the crust in the process.

I believe that it has, it's just too thin to be considered the crust of the earth. Sort of like a scab on a wound.

[capnq]

I agree with AZ. I think some scammer "sold" them the mineral rights.

[Renegade 13]

[Baron Grazic]

This made the Australian news, both the Prime Time broadcasts and the Sunday papers. Of course there was still more print dedicated to Anna Nicole Smith.