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I am interested in knowing what kind of fossils we would find if we were to drill horizontally through the mountain and what we would find if we were to drill vertically. Would we find anything interesting other than the fossils?

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  • $\begingroup$ There would be Metals brought up from the Mantle maybe $\endgroup$
    – Tardy
    Apr 15, 2021 at 17:57
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    $\begingroup$ That would depend on where you start. $\endgroup$
    – Spencer
    Apr 15, 2021 at 22:22
  • $\begingroup$ @BearSmart all rocks in the crust contain "metals brought up from the mantle". The question is which metals, in what chemical form, and at what concentrations. $\endgroup$
    – Gimelist
    Apr 15, 2021 at 22:54
  • $\begingroup$ Somebody should start a bounty, So people can answer Writer-at-large's question. Maybe this can answer your question; geo.cornell.edu/geology/research/derry/himalaya.html $\endgroup$
    – Tardy
    Apr 19, 2021 at 12:49
  • $\begingroup$ @Gimelist Mhm but he never stated in what concentrations would there be metal. all he said was "...Would we find anything interesting other than fossils" $\endgroup$
    – Tardy
    Apr 22, 2021 at 11:57

3 Answers 3

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The summit of the mountain is made up of 400 million year old sedimentary rocks laid down long before the uplift 50 million years ago. These rocks contain marine fossils including Trilobites and Crinoids. If you drilled down from the summit you would then encounter older metamorphic rocks, the upper parts of which contain traces of fossils, and then in to gneisses and granites.

http://all-geo.org/metageologist/2012/06/the-geology-of-mount-everest/

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  • $\begingroup$ As interesting as this is, the article you linked is more about the rock structure than fossils. What would the trace fossils be? What order would I encounter them in when drilling from top to bottom? Or from side to side? $\endgroup$ Apr 16, 2021 at 2:47
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Looks like some basic hints are necessary (as a complement to @AndyM's answer):

  • stratigraphy usually goes from younger to older when going down.

  • there'll be little chance to find any macrofossils in rocks that formed before sufficiently complex life was around.

  • there'll be little chance to find fossils in rocks that underwent metamorphism, that is have been in pressure/temperature regimes that aren't conducive for their preservation, even if they initially were present in the pre existing rocks.

  • 'trace fossils' are not small remains of fossils but fossilized traces ('footprints'). Very rare thing.

  • it may be possible to find fossils in overlaying, younger sediments that formed during or after the uplift or were trapped or transported in depressions, but that's not the point of the question I think.

So, below the uppermost formations around the summit you'll likely find nothing of interest in the sense of the question when drilling down.

Will provide sources on specificically focussed request, but this isn't top notch geoscience.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for this. $\endgroup$ Apr 16, 2021 at 10:55
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    $\begingroup$ As someone who studies igneous and metamorphic rocks, referring to rocks with no fossils as "nothing of interest" makes me giggle $\endgroup$
    – Gimelist
    Apr 17, 2021 at 14:22
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    $\begingroup$ No offence to you guys who think sediments are the dirt that hides the geology from view :-) $\endgroup$
    – user22279
    Apr 17, 2021 at 19:12
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    $\begingroup$ It's funny because it's true $\endgroup$
    – Gimelist
    Apr 18, 2021 at 4:16
  • $\begingroup$ Trace fossils are not rare in the Himalayas they are impossible (Unless it was the one made by a Mountain Hiker) $\endgroup$
    – Tardy
    Apr 22, 2021 at 11:53
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Mount Everest is a Mountain Made from the Indian Subcontinent Colliding into the Asian Continental Plates, You are most likely NOT to find fossils because there was not a mount Everest during the Dinosaurs but Maybe some fossils could have gotten lifted by the collision but would be torn apart and scattered. according to [Source], The Himilayas formed 40 and 50 Million years ago, Which was around the end of the cretaceous period, which ended some 65 million years ago.

You will find Material and metals brought up from the bedrock of the Continental Crust, The Himalayas would eventually start getting weathered which would expose some metals.

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  • $\begingroup$ Most of the rock that formed the Himilayas was probably in my Observations, Buried continental crust. $\endgroup$
    – Tardy
    Apr 15, 2021 at 17:58
  • $\begingroup$ The wikipedia page[en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest#Geology] seems to argue that ancient marine fossils have already been found in the Everest rock. I want to know what will happen once the rock is drilled and we get to the deeper layers. $\endgroup$ Apr 15, 2021 at 18:27
  • $\begingroup$ Oh, I see, I thought You were reffering to Dino Fossils. I will add another section to my answer. $\endgroup$
    – Tardy
    Apr 15, 2021 at 18:47

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