Deep drilling of the oceanic crust and upper mantle

Abstract

From the inception of the DSDP through to the present investigations by the ODP, understanding the processes of generation and aging of the oceanic crust and upper mantle has been a primary objective. Time, technology, and logistics have somewhat restricted the success of these investigations, and it has been necessary until now to rely heavily upon the ophiolite model of ocean crust to provide information on crust-building processes. However, many ophiolotes were not generated at major ocean-basin spreading centers but above subducting oceanic plates at convergent margins. In this article, the degree to which ophiolites can help us understand the first order processes of crustal accretion and spreading is reviewed, and a strategy for investigating the lower ocean crust and upper mantle through deep drilling is outlined. -from Author