Indian Ocean gravity hole was caused by extinct ancient sea, scientists say
Scientists may have finally identified the origins of a deep"gravity hole" in the Indian Ocean — a mysterious region where Earth's gravitational pull is weaker than at other parts of our planet.
The low is a consequence of our surprisingly squidgy planet, which flattens at the poles, bulges at the equator and undulates between lumps and bumps across its surface. But ever since its discovery in 1948, the origin of this Indian Ocean abyss has puzzled scientists. Now, a study published May 5 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters suggests the IOGL was caused by low-density magma that was pushed into the Indian Ocean by the sinking slabs of an ancient ocean.
To search for a potential answer, the researchers used 19 computer models that simulated the motions of the mantle and tectonic plates in the region across 140 million years. They then compared the simulated lows that formed in each test with the real-life hollow. These plumes are spurts of mantle rock originating from a disturbance 600 miles west under Africa. Known as the"African blob," the dense bubble of crystalized material inside Africa's mantle is the size of a continent and 100 times taller than Mount Everest.
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