M2M MoHole ̶ Toward the First Mantle Drilling

Abstract

Ultradeep mantle drilling project “MoHole to Mantle (M2M)” can only be pursued by using the Deep Sea Drilling Vessel Chikyu. M2M proposes to penetrate through the 6 km thick oceanic crust and recover the pristine in-situ mantle material first time in the human history in order to understand the nature of the Moho and the geodynamics of convecting mantle, and to shed lights on the origin of water and deep global circulation of carbon, and to know the ultimate limits of deep biosphere.