Scientists have uncovered potential remnants of Earth’s ancient crust, often referred to as ‘sunken worlds,’ hidden deep within the mantle. And this was possible because of a new way of mapping our planet’s interior. This discovery, detailed in the journal, Scientific Reports, sheds new light on Earth’s geological history, and offers insights into the planet’s formation and evolution.
The recently discovered anomalies are found in unexpected places, in contrast to previously recognised subducted slabs, which are tectonic plates that descend into the mantle at collision zones. Some are located far from any known tectonic activity, beneath the western Pacific Ocean. How these fragments got to these places is a mystery to researchers.
High-resolution modelling of the Earth’s interior using seismic data from earthquake waves enabled the breakthrough. Full-waveform inversion, a method that combines several seismographic measurements into a single, distinct image, was essential. The massive computing power required for this new method was provided by the Piz Daint supercomputer at the Swiss National Supercomputer Centre in Lugano, Switzerland.
Read more: UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India that were once temples
Although the discovery is encouraging, it is yet unknown what these blobs are, according to Thomas Schouten, a doctorate candidate at the Geological Institute at ETH Zurich. “We don’t know exactly what they are,” Schouten stated, emphasising the necessity of more investigation.
Scientists have proposed a number of theories on the identity of these mysterious spots. They could be made of crust-like material that developed during the mantle’s formation 4 billion years ago. Alternatively, they might have been formed by the accumulation of dense material in the mantle over the last few hundred million years.
The striking similarity of the new anomalies to subducted slabs in terms of seismic wave travel velocity suggests a potential relationship. Scientists caution against such assessments, though. Schouten went on to say, “We have to calculate the different material parameters that could generate the observed speeds of the different wave types,” emphasising the need for a more in-depth examination of the material characteristics influencing these wave speeds.
Read more: Mumbai ranked as ‘India’s Most Romantic and Happy City’ in Global 2025 Survey
This discovery however casts doubt on geological theories and opens up fresh opportunities for researching Earth’s prehistoric past. Scientists now intend to learn more about the early genesis of the planet, by investigating these “sunken worlds,” and have more understanding about the dynamics of tectonic movement, and its evolution over billions of years.
This post was originally published on here
