Kola Superdeep Borehole – Deepest Hole Ever Drilled

The Kola Superdeep Borehole is a profound hole on the Kola Peninsula in Russia. It was delved with the intention of learning more about the inside of the Earth.

Screenshot of the exact location of the Kola Superdeep on the satellite
Screenshot of the exact location of the Kola Superdeep on the satellite image of Google.

Kola SuperDeep Borehole Plan: Background

In 1970, this drilling project was taken by Soviet Union. Drilling process was initiated on 24th May 1970 in the Kola Peninsula Murmansk, Russia and kept breaking records of all kinds. Numerous holes were penetrated stretching from the middle The most profound of these holes is the opening SG-3, is just nine inches in diameter but is an unbelievable 12,262 meters (more than 40,000 ft) deep into the Earth in 1989.

Rock from a depth of 12,260 metres. Samples from the SG3. Photo superdeep.pechenga.ru
Rock from a depth of 12,260 metres. Samples from the SG3. Photo superdeep.pechenga.ru

They broke the world record beforehand held by Bertha Rogers deep hole at 9,583 meters in 1979. In 1983, the intensity reached 12,000 meters bringing about a major commemoration and the boring was ceased. This halting of the project for about a year for commemoration added to the breakdown of the drilling rig.

The 12-kilometre mark has been reached. The plan was to continue until a depth of 15 kilometres.
The 12-kilometre mark has been reached. The plan was to continue until a depth of 15 kilometres. Photo: superdeep.pechenga.ru, source

After that point drilling was later begun and estimation recommended that they would reach a depth of 15,000 meters within 1993. This couldn’t be accomplished due to the unfeasible conditions. The drilling was halted permanently in 1992.

The end of a legend Kola SuperDeep Borehole -, Photo © andrusha084, source
The end of a legend Kola SuperDeep Borehole -, Photo © andrusha084, source

Accomplishments of the Kola SuperDeep Borehole project

  • It has set another record of 12,262 kilometers.
  • A substantial amount of unpredictable hydrogen gas was discovered.
  • It had broken through the Baltic continental crust, reaching to the ‘Archean age’ which is more than 2.5 billion years old. By this information the site got to be broad for geophysical studies.
  • Yet, its destiny was sealed. The project was discarded in 2005 because of absence of fund. Everything from drilling rig to the research equipments were sold at Scrap yard and the hole has been sealed since 2008.

Here are 6 surprising revelations from the world’s deepest Kola SuperDeep Borehole:

  • There’s a plenty of water down there. Hot mineralized water was discovered nearly everywhere along the bore way. Everybody assumed that the rock would be as dry as a stone. Who says you can’t get water from rock?
  • Before beginning, the Soviets ascertained that the tubing would weigh over a million pounds. They would never produce enough torque to turn that much pipe sufficiently quick to drill through kilometers of stone. So, in 1969, the Soviets created a rotatory bit. It spun by sending pressurized mud down the pipe where it blew through a turbine at the drill head, turning it 80 cycles per minute. It worked and the framework is presently utilized on oil wells.
  • The Earth has gas. Surprisingly, nitrogen, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, and even carbon dioxide (from microbes) were discovered all along the borehole.
  • There is no basalt under the mainland’s stone. This was a massive amaze. Seismic recommended that at 9,000 meters the stone would offer give way to basalt. It doesn’t. The seismic irregularity recommended basalt was brought about by transformed rock. This gave bolster for plate tectonics, which was another hypothesis when the Kola Superdeep Borehole was being drilled.
  • There are fossils in stone 6,700 meters underneath the surface. How’d that happen?
  • Hell is more profound than 12,262 meters. There’s a diligent gossip that the drilling finished in 1992 for the reasons that researchers pierced a super-hot cavity and heard the screams of lost souls. Not likely. For that, they most probably desired to actually reach the mantle.

Kola superdeep borehole mysteries

Kola superdeep borehole mysteries

Mysteries are important. They serve as engines for new thoughts and ideas.

Though not much was discovered by the drilling but certain facts were busted which were to be believed from the times humans started exploring the hidden secrets of the universe.

Before the drilling process it was believed that deep down the crust due to the extreme pressure induced by the temperature granite would melt and reform into basalt.

After the research they found that such a transitions never existed. There was no clue of basalt underneath.

Due to the updated researched scientists changed their theory of metamorphic changes i.e. metamorphism from change in rock to metamorphism due to extreme heat and pressure.

But the most important discovery made by the researchers was the detection of biological activity in the rocks aged more than two billion years.

The evidence of life came in the form of microscopic fossils known as plankton, which were the preserved remains of a variety of twenty four species of single cell marine plants. Before that fossils were found in silica and limestone deposit.

Surprisingly these microfossils were encased in organic compounds that remained intact despite being subjected to extreme temperatures and pressures of the surrounding rocks

Kola superdeep borehole sounds

Kola superdeep borehole sounds

Well guys if you are thinking of getting goosebumps after reading this article then you are wrong.

The sounds beneath the gigantic kola superdeep borehole refers to the mysterious rumblings deep inside the earth’s crust, rather than the horror sounds you were expecting.

The sound research was undertaken by Netherlands based artist Lotte geeven.she was always curious about the kind of sounds the earth would produce and as a child she always used to dig the earth to explore the same reason.

She undertook the project of “the sound of the earth” and along with a team of engineers and geologists she recorded the sound of a 30,000 foot hole which is located in the inclined hills of Windischeschenbach, Germany, and transformed it into an amazing art installation.

The recording was done using a geophone which is a device that is used to measure ground movement, which has an an ultrasonic sensor added to it that measures soundwaves that are beyond the range of human hearing.

Later a specialized software was used to convert the raw data into an audio format.

Geecen used special headphones when she heard the sound for the very first time, when she recalled her first experience she was totally overwhelmed by what she heard. All her hair on her arm became erect.

The experience was the same even after she heard the same noise many times after that. She said that the sound was like thunder, rumbling deep in the core or the roar of an oncoming tornado.

Later she learned that blind people could hear thunderstorms because of the low frequency that can be easily sensed in the body

Kola superdeep borehole screams

Kola superdeep borehole screams

During then drilling phase numerous strange incidents took place the moment  the Kola super deep bore hole reached a depth ranging to ten kilometres.

The temperature needed to melt down titanium is equivalent to the temperature at the surface of the earth, even after that ,twice the drill tips melted.

A lot of drills seemed to be broken off, resulting the drill tips to be misplaced forever

In the year 1994, when the bore-hole was dug thirteen kilometers and was about to be covered an unpleasant noise was heard from the core of the planet.

Those who heard it assumed that it was the cries of the people who once committed sin when they were alive on this earth who after death were bearing the burden of their crimes by residing in the core which was also considered as hell. Later a rumor of a demon who was said to appear from the core of earth exploded everywhere and thus the work was brought to a halt.

kanika
kanika
Kanika is a Serial Blogger, She is a technologist, bibliophile, speaker, educator and writer. Tornado Cash Follow her on twitter @LtsGetMotivated Spotify Promotion.

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