A team of geophysicists from ETH Zurich and Caltech found anomalies in the Earth's lower mantle, revealing previously unknown rocky areas, as reported by Phys.
To uncover these discoveries, researchers utilized a new, high-resolution model of the Earth's mantle. The results revealed regions of submerged rocky terrain beneath significant oceans, as well as within the interiors of continents.
"It appears that these zones in the Earth's mantle are significantly more extensive than previously understood," stated Thomas Schouten, lead author and doctoral researcher at ETH Zurich's Geological Institute.
The origins of these geological peculiarities are not yet understood.
"They could be remnants from the ancient silica-rich rocks that have been present since the Earth's mantle formed approximately 4 billion years ago, miraculously remaining intact despite the ongoing convective movements within the mantle. Another possibility is that they are areas where iron-rich rocks have accumulated as a result of the mantle's slow, steady movement over an equally vast timescale," Thomas Schouten suggested.
(QG = Geo / Phys / Picture: Unsplash)
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