Record-breaking mission extracts historic samples of Earth's mantle
Scientists have drilled into the Atlantis Massif, an underwater mountain located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, to extract a record-breaking core of upper mantle rock that stretches more than 3,280 feet long. The rock was mainly peridotite, a coarse igneous rock that is filled with olivine and pyroxene and is the most common rock type in the upper mantle. This discovery will provide geologists with a treasure trove of information about Earth's inner workings, including clues into diverse processes such as volcanism and the planet's magnetic field.
