Geophysicists have discovered unexpected zones in the Earth's mantle far from tectonic boundaries, challenging conventional geological understanding. These 'sunken worlds' appear as anomalies in seismic wave data, suggesting the presence of materials that shouldn't be there based on current knowledge of plate tectonics. The discovery raises more questions than answers about the composition and dynamics of the Earth's interior.
Geophysicists have found sunken worlds in the Earth’s mantle — the planet’s bulky middle layer — that, according to both earlier imaging and understanding of plate tectonics, simply shouldn’t be there.
Scientists have long recorded seismic waves as they move away from their source, measuring how they are partially absorbed, bounced, or redirected, among other properties. They then calculate backward, to find these waves’ origins. These calculations have always led to tectonic boundaries, where one plate subducts.
Instead of clarifying how tectonic movement shapes the mantle, the study adds confusion and mystery to it. Andreas Fichtner, the ETH researcher who developed the tool, compared its use to medical imaging. Doctors can see certain things with X-rays. But when they add CT or PET scans, they sometimes find additional information.
GEOPHYSICS MANTLE PLATE TECTONICS SEISMIC WAVES EARTH's INTERIOR
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