Big Picture Geology
A conversation on Twitter with some real and not-so-real ideas of big picture geology projects.
@clasticdetritus They're been talking about drilling into the mantle for years - and I'm not sure how much its worth.
@eruptionsblog yea they have, I just wanted to highlight how experts discuss it --- I think very worth it, much like space exploration IMO- @clasticdetritus I just think there are a lot more pressing and interesting things to do with the money considering … but maybe i'm surly
- @eruptionsblog I think that's a fair point, I'm not saying we drop everything else ... but would be good to see progress, ya know
- @clasticdetritus I'm just not a "mantle" petrologist … drill me into Yellowstone.
- @Yorrike @eruptionsblog seems like the planetary explorer-types would be interested in doing such probe/tracer stuff on Earth as validation
- @clasticdetritus I've had discussions with folks about how geologists just don't "think big" like physicists/astronomers (con.)
- @clasticdetritus And that's why they get billion $ supercolliders and spacecraft and we get, well, some drilling ships and a brunt on?
@eruptionsblog @clasticdetritus So "drilling through the entire planet" doesn't count as thinking big? : )- @eruptionsblog perhaps ... that might make a cool blog post: "big" Earth science research projects
- @Yorrike @clasticdetritus When did we do that? Did I miss it? I always miss cool stuff.
- @eruptionsblog @clasticdetritus That's a project I'd like to see. Though currently impossible, we'd just need a few billion $ to start.
- @eruptionsblog @clasticdetritus Or even tugging a small asteroid into Earth orbit and then drilling through that. That has broad appeal.
- @Yorrike @clasticdetritus I'd just be happy to drill through the Andean crust where its 70 km thick … but I like the crust.
- @Yorrike and once you have one whole-Earth core, then you need more for comparison! @eruptionsblog
- @eruptionsblog @clasticdetritus You may note that my ideas involve a lot of drilling.
- @clasticdetritus @yorrike I've had a vision of building a volcanic conduit up a 5 story bldg to simulate eruptions. OSHA might not like it
- @eruptionsblog @Yorrike how 'bout injecting some tracers into/underneath a volcano to see how quickly it comes out?
- @clasticdetritus @eruptionsblog I heard an idea of making a v. heavy heat-resistant probe and letting it sink through the mantle.
- @clasticdetritus @yorrike In grad school, we talked about dumping some very rare tracer down a trench - Tc or something. EPA might not like.
