Kola well. Discoveries that changed the world

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

Since ancient times, people have dreamed of finding out what is under their feet. Not here on the surface of the Earth, but there - deep in its bowels. Unfortunately, with the existing equipment, it was only possible to penetrate a few hundred meters deep.

Drilling operations on the Kola Peninsula began in 1970 and continued until 1992. During this time, the drillers made important discoveries. No wonder, because the earth's crust was "pierced" by more than 12 km!

Kola well confirmed many scientists' guesses, but also refuted a lot. It was assumed that the earth's crust looked like a layer cake - at the very bottom are bas alts, above - granites, and we walk on sedimentary rocks. This turned out to be not entirely true. Granites are 3 km lower than scientists thought. And the drillers never got to the bas alt layer. The last kilometers were exclusively granite. At the International Geological Congress, which took place in 1984, they even offered to bury the well, since it refutes all the assumptions of scientists. Naturally, this was said as a joke.

Initially it was planned, by the way, that the well on the Kola Peninsula would be much deeper. It was thought that the temperature would be low kilometersup to 15, and it was supposed to dig as far as 20 km, that is, almost to the mantle itself. But the B altic Shield brought a surprise. At the level of 12 km, the temperature was recorded 1000 degrees Celsius higher than predicted. Moreover, scientists today do not know why this happened.

But this is not all the discoveries that the Kola well gave to the world. Thanks to her, it became known that life on our planet arose much earlier than expected. Fossilized microorganisms at depths where they should not be, according to scientists, and huge concentrations of methane gas forced the scientific world to radically change the theory.

What is the Kola well? Probably many imagine a mine or something like that. But such fantasies are far from the truth. In fact, for our Earth, it is comparable to a needle ruthlessly piercing its bowels. A drill with a diameter of slightly more than 20 cm goes into the depths. Numerous sensors are fixed at its end, which made it possible to make so many discoveries.

Many mysterious legends are connected with the well on the Kola Peninsula. Or not legends - who knows? Perhaps that is how it all happened. For example, drillers say that sounds similar to terrible screams were heard from the depths. The most impressionable assure that it is there that the underworld is located.

When the 10 km mark was reached, troubles rained down on the Kola Superdeep - a chain of mysterious events, the explanation of which was never foundfound. At the sight of a melted drill, scientists could only shrug, because it is not able to withstand only the temperature of the Sun! And one day the rope broke. Moreover, later its remains could not be found.

However, they stopped drilling not because of the devilry. The official version is a lack of funds. By a mysterious coincidence, an explosion occurred at a great depth at the same time. An explanation for this incident has also not been found.

Well, the Kola well has served the world with dignity. She excited the entire scientific world, and the mysterious legends associated with her will excite humanity for a long time to come.