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Usefulness of Mantle tapping and possibly outer core

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Worlder What? Since: Jan, 2001
What?
#1: Apr 26th 2011 at 8:11:21 PM

Basically being to drill holes so deep that it manages penetrate the a planet's crust and reach more or less the upper layers of the molten mantle.

According to The Other Wiki, assuming the composition is roughly the same as our Earth (give or take a few metallic Phlebotinum), given sufficient energy and technology one can extract more magnesium than simply mining the crust.

Also geothermal power.

What other use is there.

edited 26th Apr '11 8:11:46 PM by Worlder

Keybreak (Long Runner)
#2: Apr 28th 2011 at 12:34:52 PM

Using the empty holes as living space?

You gotta believe me when I scare you away, all that I wish for is that you would stay
breadloaf Since: Oct, 2010
#3: Apr 28th 2011 at 12:48:51 PM

So would it be worth the cost? I've not done that much geological analysis. I mean with asteroid mining for instance, a single asteroid can contain more iron than we've ever mined in human history.

Keybreak (Long Runner)
#4: Apr 28th 2011 at 12:50:44 PM

I did have the idea for mining asteroid iron...

Darn you breadloaf!

But that's not the topic. Unless asteroids provide a lot of molten material too...

You gotta believe me when I scare you away, all that I wish for is that you would stay
MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#5: Apr 28th 2011 at 1:10:43 PM

Well that's fine if you can afford to make every bit of your equipment out of tungsten, but otherwise you're going to have an fire-hazard that will make even the worst coal-seam-fire look like a candle.

Nomic Exitus Acta Probat from beyond the Void Since: Jan, 2001
Exitus Acta Probat
#6: Apr 29th 2011 at 4:14:15 AM

Definedly wouldn't be practical way to make money, as the deeper you go, the harder it gets to drill since the temperature increases so much that the drill starts melting from the heat and friction. There's a reason why we haven't drilled a hole in the mantle yet, namely it costs a fortune. Altho they're planning it, and think the might start drilling through the oceanic lithopshere sometime between 2015 and 2025. Geothermal power can be obtained by drilling deep holes, but you don't have to go all the way to the mantle for it (just stop at the point drilling starts getting really difficult).

MajorTom Since: Dec, 2009
#7: Apr 29th 2011 at 7:43:56 AM

^ There have been several attempts at breaching the Moho discontinuity (border of crust and mantle) before. Some have claimed to do so but none have been verified.

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