China has started digging a 10,000m hole into 145 million year-old rock
The Chinese have started digging a 10km deep hole towards the centre of the Earth which involves breaking through rock that is 145 million years old. Discover why they are doing it
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Chinese scientists have begun digging a really deep hole to the centre of the Earth to learn what happens inside our planet.
The borehole in Xinjiang will be 10,000m, or 10km, deep when it is completed, and will be the deepest hole ever dug in China and the second-deepest in the world.
The narrow shaft made by drilling will push through more than 10 layers of rock and reach the cretaceous system in the Earth’s crust, breaking through rock that is about 145 million years old.
This rock is so old, it goes back further than the first humans which are thought to have walked the Earth five to seven million years ago.
It is expected to take 457 days, or one year and three months, to dig the hole through the Tarim Basin’s tough ground.
The company leading the project, China’s National Petroleum Corp, said the hole will provide useful information on the Earth’s internal structure while also testing drilling technologies.
The hole is being dug in a part of China that is rich in oil. This could be used to make petrol, diesel fuel, jet fuel for planes and heating oil.
Sun Jinsheng, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Engineering told Chinese news agency Xinhua News the hole would be very difficult to dig.
“The construction difficulty of the drilling project can be compared to a big truck driving on two thin steel cables,” he said.
In a 2021 speech Chinese president Xi Jinping said it was important to explore deep in the Earth because it could help in finding mineral and energy resources. It could also help scientists study the risks of environmental disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
COULD THEY DRILL ALL THE WAY THROUGH?
While some people joke about being able to dig to China from Australia on the other side of the world, we know this is not possible.
The Earth is made of three main layers: the core, the mantle and the crust.
The crust is the outer layer or ‘skin’ of the planet. It is about 40km deep, meaning a 10km hole will go through only one quarter of the crust.
The world’s deepest man-made hole, the Kola Superdeep Hole is in Russia. This is 12,262m deep, was completed in 1989 and took 20 years to dig.
They stopped digging when the heat and pressure made drilling really difficult. The hole kept collapsing as the hot rock became too spongy.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- borehole: a deep round hole made by a special machine that drill into the ground
- shaft: something that looks like a long, thin pole
- cretaceous system: rocks deep in the earth’s crust that date back to the last time dinosaurs were alive
- internal: inside something
- mineral: a solid substance that is naturally occurring but does not come from an animal or plant
- energy resources: things that could be used to generate electricity
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QUICK QUIZ
1. What is the deepest man made hole on earth?
2. How deep is the Chinese borehole going to be?
3. How old is the rock that’s being drilled through in China?
4. How long will the hole in China take to dig?
5. What is the outer layer or "skin" of the Earth called?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Be inspired
Create an artwork inspired by what you think you would find or experience digging through the deepest parts of the earth. Use information in the story for ideas.
Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Science; Visual Arts
2. Extension
Create a design for a system or machine that could keep drilling through the hottest parts of the earth’s core.
Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Science; Design and Technologies
VCOP ACTIVITY
Journey to the centre of Earth
Imagine you are a young scientist who is part of the team working on digging the deep hole in Xinjiang to explore the Earth’s interior.
Write a persuasive letter to your classmates, encouraging them to learn more about the project and its significance.
Explain the goals of the project, the potential benefits, and the challenges involved in digging such a deep hole.
Use vocabulary words from the glossary and connectives to structure your letter and make it engaging for your readers.
Remember to use proper punctuation, include a greeting and closing, and express your enthusiasm for the project.
Re-read your letter before sharing it with your class.