Dig a Hole

A model globe in front of a blue and yellow information panel.

4 children and a woman looking at two separate exhibits which show models of the earth and sun.

If you could dig through to the other side of the world, you’d be passing through layers of extremely hot, molten rock and solid rock under great pressure.

How it works

Move a pointer to any place on the globe and imagine digging through to the other side of the world.

Things to try or ask around the exhibit

Where would you come out if you kept digging through this point on the Earth?

Background

Rocks in Earth’s inner core have been around since Earth was formed more than 4 billion years ago. These rocks are believed to exist at temperatures around 4300°C and be under 300 million times more pressure than rocks at the surface.

Finding the science in your world

No-one has ever attempted to dig straight through the Earth of course! The deepest humans have drilled into the ground is about 12 kilometres (down a bore hole in Russia).