Ancient seabed holds secrets in search for life on other planets
The Oman Drilling Project is a collaborative multinational investigation of the Samail Ophiolite, the world’s largest, best-exposed, and most-studied subaerial block of oceanic crust and upper mantle. The Samail Ophiolite contains rock assemblages formed by seafloor spreading, providing scientists with an inside look at ancient oceanic lithosphere brought to the surface millions of years ago by tectonic plate action.
In this video, DCO researchers Peter Kelemen (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory) and Alexis Templeton (NASA Astrobiology Institute) discuss how the secrets being revealed by this ancient seabed are helping to inform the search for life on other planets.
The video, produced by CoLab Productions, was shot on location in the Sultanate of Oman over a period of 12 days.
