Scientists will attempt to be the first to drill into Earth's mantle

A group of scientists wants to plumb the Earth for one of its last secrets. Researchers from Japan's Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology say they plan to be the first to successfully drill into the mantle, that is, the region sandwiched between the planet's outer crust and its inner core. Although the mantel makes up about 80 percent of the Earth's mass, much of it remains a mystery. "We don't know the exact [composition] of the mantle yet," researcher Natsue Abe, who works for JAMSTEC,...

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