What is Earth's mantle and how much of the planet does it make up?
Earth's mantle is a layer of silicate rock between the crust and the outer core. It has a mass that makes up 67% of the mass of Earth and occupies about 84% of Earth's volume.
Questions about Earth's mantle
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Andrija Mohorovičić discover the boundary now known as the Moho?
Andrija Mohorovičić first noted a sudden increase in seismic velocity on the 2nd of May 1909. This discovery led to the naming of the boundary as the Mohorovičić discontinuity or Moho.
How deep do scientists drill into Earth's mantle during exploration projects?
The deepest penetration reached approximately 183 meters during Project Mohole which was abandoned in 1966. An oceanic borehole later reached 3,700 meters below the sea floor from the JOIDES Resolution vessel in 2005.
What minerals are stable within the transition zone of Earth's mantle?
Wadsleyite and ringwoodite are stable within the middle section of the mantle spanning approximately 410 to 660 kilometers. Ringwoodite decomposes into bridgmanite and ferropericlase at the base of this transition zone.
Where can scientists find exposed mantle material without any crust covering it?
Scientists aboard the RRS James Cook embarked on a voyage on the 5th of March 2007 to an area where the mantle lies exposed. This site lies approximately three kilometers beneath the ocean surface midway between the Cape Verde Islands and the Caribbean Sea.