Geologists Hope Rocks Help Unravel Planet's Secrets

[Fox Mulder]

They're Part of the Only Intact Section of the Oceanic Crust Ever Recovered
By MICHAEL GRACZYK, AP

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (July 9) - The small gray and black rocks stored in 3-foot-long clear plastic tubes at a Texas A&M University lab could be mistaken for the leftovers after a kitchen countertop installation.

But the surprisingly heavy pebbles are much more significant. They're part of the only intact section of oceanic crust ever recovered, pulled from beneath the Pacific Ocean by geologists drilling more than a mile into the sea floor.

Scientists hope this latest effort in the generations-old attempt to get closer to the center of the planet - achieved as part of the world's biggest earth science program - can help unlock some of earth's longest-held secrets.

"I would say this is just like a voyage of discovery to the planet Mars, except this is inner space rather than outer space," said Neil Banerjee, staff scientist for the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program at Texas A&M. "We're learning about the fundamental dynamics of how our planet works."

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