Geologists have been on a quest to drill down to the mantle for several decades. The goal is to learn more about volcanoes, earthquakes, and how the planet works. The deepest hole so far is the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia. Over 20 years, a team drilled down 40,230 feet. That’s only halfway to the mantle in that spot. The team encountered unexpectedly high temperatures that ruined their equipment. In addition, high pressure caused the rocks to ooze and fill the borehole over and over.
How does pressure change as you move from Earth’s surface to the inner core?