Geologists using earthquakes to examine the lower part of the mantle layer of the Earth have discovered quite interesting and mysterious structures. Under the Pacific Ocean, the areas where seismic waves move at different speeds and shapes were detected. This refers to structures with a cooler or completely different composition than the surrounding molten rocks. However, it is not yet known what these structures are, and the scientific world is alone with a big question mark in the face of this finding.
Scientists say that such structures are often seen as materials sunk in the lower tectonic plate lower areas. However, the fact that the Pacific Ocean is a single large plate disables this theory. For this reason, the origin and meaning of these deep structures remain mystery for now. Thomas Schouten, a doctoral student at the ETH Zurich Geological Institute, said that they found many abnormalities in the depths of the manton, but they do not know exactly what these anomalies pointed to.
It is thought that these cold regions are not only caused by sinking plates in the last 200 million years, but may have remained from much older times. Schouten draws attention to the two possible origins of these anomalies. The first possibility is that a silica -rich material, which participated in the formation of the manton in the times of 4 billion years ago, managed to survive despite the convective movements in the mantle. Another possibility is that iron -rich rocks may have accumulated in certain regions as a result of mantle movements that have been ongoing for billions of years.
The research team is trying to understand what these structures are using differences in seismic wave rates. However, measuring the speed of the waves is far from providing precise information even if a perfect modeling is made. Schouten says that they need to calculate the material parameters in more detail and hope to achieve a clearer conclusion with such investigations.
These findings aim to shed light on the consequences of the geological movements that lasted for years in the depths of the world’s mantle. To understand the details of these structures under the Pacific Ocean, more research needs to be done. The article published in Scientific Reports magazine is seen as an important step for the discovery and interpretation of this mysterious phenomenon.
