Scientists have found unexpected blobs deep in Earth’s mantle, raising questions about their origins and implications for geology.
For over a century, scientists have used seismic waves to understand what’s beneath our feet. These waves act like sound waves, revealing the materials they pass through. The team used a supercomputer to analyze all types of seismic waves, creating a detailed map of the lower mantle.
What they found were large, dense blobs that look like remnants of tectonic plates. Normally, these plates sink into the mantle during subduction, but these blobs are far from any known subduction zones. This suggests that such formations might be more common than we thought.
Earth scientist Thomas Schouten believes these blobs could have different origins, not just from tectonic activity. The research shows that the waves used only represent one aspect of what’s below, and more investigation is needed to understand these mysterious chunks.
The shapes found beneath the Pacific might be layers from the base of the plate, which is thinner than expected. Further studies will help uncover what these blobs are made of and how they ended up there. Each one likely has its own unique story to tell.
