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 International Ocean Discovery Program is one of 9 funding agencies supporting the Oman Drilling Project where a team of researchers from 30 academic institutions is exploring important scientific questions in Oman. How can investigations in this area help our understanding of the origins of life on Earth to the implications for life on other planets? Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLLCEPKling