2.5 Mile Deep Hole Drilled Into San Andreas Fault 204
iandoh writes "Cool research: Geologists at Stanford University and the US Geological Survey have drilled a 2.5 mile deep borehole into the San Andreas fault. They've extracted over one ton of rock from 2 miles down, and they'll be installing sensors down the length of the borehole."
Re:Only 2.5 miles? (Score:5, Interesting)
Modern oil rigs don't drill into one of the world's largest fault lines. This depth will give a very broad understanding, topologically the distribution of vibration analysis, fracture mechanics, etc., etc.
Models will be developed to study and help with how the Earth expands and contracts.
Re:Only 2.5 miles? (Score:3, Interesting)
Silica Gel reducing friction in fault zones? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Only 2.5 miles? (Score:2, Interesting)
Apparently, we were told, the destructive force of earthquakes is carried along the upper couple hundred feet of the surface. I am reminded of a body of water that has waves and turmoil on the surface but which is quite calm below the surface.
My guess would be that the sensors don't go any further down because they don't need to.
Re:Only 2.5 miles? (Score:5, Interesting)
from iopd.og:
An interesting map is at http://seismo.berkeley.edu/istat/ex_depth_plot/ [berkeley.edu]
Re:Lex Luthor is Pleased (Score:4, Interesting)