Why Is China Drilling One of the World Deepest Holes

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16 Jan 2024

China begins drilling one of world’s deepest holes in hunt for discoveries deep inside the Earth. What if China's quest could unveil secrets as transformative as the Moon landing? Drilling further down than Everest is tall, what might they discover in the Earth's ancient layers? Could this journey uncover a new chapter in our planet's story, or a treasure trove of geothermal energy to power future economic growth? In this video we probe the mysteries and ambitions driving China to pursue one of the deepest hole ever drilled, and consider what breakthroughs, or challenges, await at the edge of this uncharted subterranean frontier by looking at past drillings in various corners of the planet.

References:
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Cheung, Rachel. "China Begins Drilling One of World’s Deepest Holes in Hunt for Discoveries Deep Inside the Earth." The Guardian. June 6, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/wo....rld/2023/jun/06/chin
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Teagle, Damon, and Benoît Ildefonse. "Journey to the Mantle of the Earth." Nature 471, no. 7339 (2011): 437–439. https://doi.org/10.1038/471437a.
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Witze, Alexandra. "Quest to Drill into Earth’s Mantle Restarts." Nature 528, no. 16–17 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/528016a.
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Pechenga District, Image Archive of the Kola Superdeep Borehole." Accessed Dec 15th, 2023". http://superdeep.pechenga.ru/.
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Müller, R. Dietmar, et al. "A Tectonic-Rules-Based Mantle Reference Frame since 1 Billion Years Ago – Implications for Supercontinent Cycles and Plate–Mantle System Evolution." Solid Earth 13 (2022): 1127–1159. https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-1127-2022.

Footage credits:
Ultra Deepwater Drillship Basic Walkthrough by https://www.youtube.com/@jhndeere
The Kola Superdeep Borehole today by https://www.youtube.com/@rosamenkman
Seismic waves simulation by https://www.youtube.com/@SeismologyOxford
Mantle convection simulation by https://www.youtube.com/@TimoHeister
Mantle structure by https://www.youtube.com/@earthbyte9249
Rocks under microscope by https://www.youtube.com/@Cambridge University
Mantle Convection explained by https://www.youtube.com/@LMU.Muenchen
Plate tectonics simulations by https://www.youtube.com/@cscotese
Greenland’s ice sheet by https://www.youtube.com/@NASAGoddard
Animated maps by https://www.youtube.com/@esrimaps
China’s Drilling Projects by https://www.youtube.com/@ChinaViewTV
Drill bits animation and refurbishment by https://www.youtube.com/@Ulter....raDrillingTechnologi
Supercritical geothermal energy animations by https://www.youtube.com/@quaise

This video is a collaborative creation, conceived, written, directed and crafted by human brains and further enhanced with the support of artificial intelligence tools.

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