Deep in the Earth, scientists have discovered two massive, shapeless and huge structures, each 100 times taller than Mount Everest.
An entire continent of these formations sits on top of the Earth's core and 1,800 miles below the surface. And now experts believe that this structure is some other material than the one found in the rest of the planet's mantle.
A team of experts argues that these strange structures could shed light on how our blue planet formed billions of years ago and help explain the mechanisms that govern volcanic eruptions and plate tectonic movement. The findings of scientists from Arizona State University are described in a paper published in Nature Geoscience.
These spots are located on opposite sides of the planet, on one side - below the Pacific Ocean, and the second is located under the Atlantic. Previously, experts believed that these objects, also known as "thermochemical piles", are made of materials similar to the mantle of our planet, although their temperature is slightly higher. But now researchers are claiming that they can have different chemical structures.
New research shows that the huge clumps contain other materials, and may even be formed from remnants of matter that helped form the Earth over 4 billion years ago.
“While the origins and composition of the massive structures are still unknown, we suspect they contain important clues about how the Earth formed and how the planet works today,” said Edward Garnero of the School of Earth and Space Research at State University. Arizona.
The waves from earthquakes deep inside the Earth show that seismic waves move slowly through these objects. It is believed that the material of the mantle that surrounds these structures on all sides is composed of colder rocks from the downward movement of tectonic plates.
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The researchers say they still have a lot to discover and study. However, recent data already indicate that the structure of these clumps is denser than the surrounding mantle materials. Along with this, the found formations are dynamically stable and durable.
At the moment, research is ongoing, but experts hope that they will soon know much more about the origin and composition of these huge unusual clots. “If a neurologist finds unknown structures in the human brain, the entire community of scientists from psychologists to surgeons will actively seek understanding of their role in the functioning of the entire system as a whole,” Garnero said.
“As more attention is drawn to thermochemical piles, we hope that other world scientists will explore how these features of the planet will help solve the mystery of the formation of the Earth,” the specialist sincerely hopes.