New seismic research reveals two colossal underground structures under Africa and the Pacific, raised up to 1,000 km, radically changing the understanding of the Earth’s interior.
Scientists have identified two huge structures hidden deep in the Earth’s mantle, which rise to almost 1,000 kilometers, almost 100 times higher than Mount Everest, writes
The discovery, published in the journal Nature, fundamentally changes the way the planet’s largest geological structures are defined and offers new insights into Earth’s early internal evolution.
Seismic modeling reveals continental-sized structures beneath Africa and the Pacific
The study, led by Arwen Deuss of Utrecht University, used normal mode oscillations, vibrations of the entire planet after major earthquakes, to map how seismic waves attenuate in .
This method allowed the detection of unusually dense regions, where seismic waves travel very slowly, under Africa and the central Pacific.
Researchers may change 100-year-old theory about Earth’s tallest mountain range
These massive anomalies, known as low-shear-velocity provinces (LLSVPs), span thousands of kilometers and rise from near the core-mantle boundary to unprecedented heights.
Ancient and chemically distinct domains
Researchers believe that these LLSVP structures formed from the remnants of tectonic plates that, billions of years ago, descended into the mantle and accumulated at its base.
Their distinct chemical composition prevents them from mixing with the rest of the mantle, making them some of the most stable internal structures on Earth.
Their position above the core suggests that they can feed columns of hot rock that rise from the mantle, forming volcanic areas like Hawaii or Iceland, and influence the large convection currents that move the tectonic plates.
A new model highlights their role in long-term geological cycles
The team’s QS4L3 model is the first global attenuation map capable of distinguishing the effects of temperature from those of composition, providing a clearer picture of mantle processes.
The study shows that these very old structures can act as anchors in Earth’s interior, influencing the cycles by which continents join and separate, and preserving materials from the planet’s early past that can affect surface geology and climate.
