What happens if we drill a tunnel to the Earth's core? (6 photos)

The idea of digging to the center of the Earth has captivated many generations. From Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth" to contemporary films such as as the "Earth's Core", we were fascinated by the idea of exploring the inner devices of our planet. But what actually happens if we try to get to the center of the earth?





First, let's talk about what we know about the subsoil Earth. We know that it consists of several layers, each of which has different properties and characteristics.

At the very center of the earth is the inner core, which is hard and consists mainly of iron and nickel. Around inner core is the outer core, which is liquid and also composed of iron and nickel. Above the outer core is the mantle - thick layer of rocks surrounding the core. Finally, there is the earth's crust - the outermost layer on which we walk.

If we dug to the very center of the earth, we would have to go through all these layers. The earth's crust is the thinnest layer, its depth is about 30 kilometers.



This may seem like a lot, but it's actually very small. part of the total radius of the Earth, which is about 6,371 kilometers. For comparison, if the Earth were the size of an apple, then the crust would be thinner than the skin.

In comparison, the deepest well ever man-drilled, the Kola Superdeep Well in Russia, has only 12 kilometers deep.





Going deeper, we would hit the mantle. The mantle is much thicker crust, its depth is about 2,900 kilometers. The mantle is made up of solid rock, but it is hot enough to flow like a thick liquid for long periods of time.

This is what causes the movement of the tectonic plates of the Earth, which causes earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and construction mountains

If we kept moving on then eventually reach the outer core. This is where things get interesting. The outer core is liquid and consists of iron and nickel.



At a depth of 6 km, the pressure is about 60 MPa (megapascal), which is approximately equal to the pressure created by a weight of more than 6,000 vehicles on the surface.

At a depth of 6400 km, which is considered the boundary between the mantle and the core Earth, the pressure is already on the order of 360 GPa (gigapascals), which equivalent to the pressure of more than 3.6 million vehicles on surfaces.

This means that even if we could penetrate to the core Earth, we would be faced with extremely high pressure, which exceeds any pressure we can create on the surface of the earth.

Earth's inner core is insanely hot, its temperature reaches 5,500 degrees Celsius. This heat causes the outer core spin and flow, creating the earth's magnetic field.



Unfortunately, we would not be able to see anything, because extreme temperatures and pressures would destroy any instrumentation or cameras that we would send down. To study the nucleus, we would have to rely on indirect methods.

What do we know? The inner core has a diameter of about 2400 kilometers and is considered solid due to the strong pressure. outer core, which surrounds the inner, presumably is a liquid metal alloy of iron and nickel. The movement of this liquid outer nucleus and creates the earth's magnetic field.

In conclusion, I want to say that the journey to the center of the Earth may remain a feat that we will not be able to accomplish with our life. The temperatures and pressures are too high for our technology to could deal with them.



However, scientific research and discoveries have significantly expanded our understanding of the earth's interior and how it affects our lives on the surface. We discovered new deposits of useful fossils, unique ecosystems, and even possible clues about origin of life on earth.

We also began to better understand the delicate balance that exists between the Earth's core and its surface, and how any change in one one of them can have a profound effect on the other.