Mission Moho Workshop: Drilling Through the Oceanic Crust to the Mantle

The formation and evolution of the oceanic lithosphere ar e the dominant processes in the chemical differentiation the dominant process es in the chemical differentiation e s in the chemical differentiation in the chemical differentiation and physical evolution of our planet. This evolution encompasses the transfer and transformation of material and energy from Earth’s mantle to the crust , and from the crust , and from the crust and from the crust to the ocean and atmosphere. Independent of sunlight, the evolving ocean crust supports life in unique subsurface and seafloor habitats that may resemble the earliest of Earth’s ecosystems. From its formation until its return by subduction to the mantle, the oceanic lithosphere interacts with seawater, sequesters surface materials (including water) , and recycles , and recycles and recycles