03-12-2009 - Earth

sagar: Author=’Lindsay Patterson’ program=” video=” Bruce Marsh: Magma abounds inside the Earth, in many places. But we have never ever encountered one. We talk about it, we try to find it. But we have never ever encountered one. And it’s only the beginning.

That’s Earth scientist Bruce Marsh of Johns Hopkins University. He’s excited about the first-ever discovery of magma – molten material – inside Earth. The dynamic movement of magma has helped shape the world on which we stand. But it took an accidental discovery by a drilling crew in Hawaii to find the first actual molten magma still inside Earth.

Bruce Marsh: They were drilling down in a basically routine drilling operation, and they started seeing some unusual materials coming up in the cuttings. And it turns out to be this very clear glass. They stopped, pulled it up, redrilled it. This happened several times. And they could tell that this material was actually coming up the drill hole and then corking itself off through cooling from the drilling fluids.

Before this, scientists wondered whether it would ever be possible to study live magma near Earth’s surface.

Bruce Marsh: This is, for me and for people who study magma, this is Jurassic Park for magmas. In other words, people would be thrilled to find a dinosaur in its natural habitat. For us, this is magma in its natural habitat. This is first contact with inner Earth.

Join EarthSky in celebrating The International Year of Planet Earth. Thanks to the National Science Foundation and US Geological Survey.

Our thanks to:
Bruce Marsh
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Written by Lindsay Patterson

4 Responses to “Bruce Marsh’s rare encounter with molten magma”

1. Johnny Boy says:

   March 13, 2009 at 7:30 am

   It’s really cool to see such flowing liquid! But, does any one know what the studies of magma would do us any good? I only got to know that it might help us with the understanding about earth formations.

   Reply
2. Francisco says:

   March 18, 2009 at 11:19 pm

   If you look at the composition of magma below the surface you can know something about how it might behave there (magma may be significantly different after it surfaces and becomes lava). This may help in the prediction of volcanic eruptions. The way magma flows may be heavily dependent on the mixture of its constituents.

   Reply
3. boombud says:

   March 19, 2009 at 2:11 am

   Electricity is exactly why they were drilling, for I think this is the drilling that happened at Puna Geo Thermal, power plant here in Hawai’i County.

   Reply
4. mukesh says:

   April 2, 2009 at 11:07 am

   i like everybody’s comments about it and it is a very amazing discovery but i am yet a 12 year old child.

   Reply