Seismologists have made a groundbreaking discovery under the Sierra Nevada mountain range, detecting earthquakes 20-40 km deep that reveal hidden crustal movement. This finding shows that the lithosphere is actively detaching beneath central Sierra Nevada, peeling off like tectonic skin.
Research suggests that the Earth’s lower crust is sinking into the mantle, an underground process reshaping the range. Seismic imaging has also revealed compression patterns in rock layers, indicating intense subterranean deformation. These findings may be linked to cooling crust being pulled downward, causing it to stay brittle and crack under pressure.
The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of continental formation. It appears that lighter crust is rising while dense material dives deep, creating land masses through a process known as foundering. This process is invisible at the surface but leaves geological scars that trace millions of years of tectonic history.
Scientists believe that similar foundering may be underway in other regions, such as the Andes and even hinted at in Venus’s mantle activity. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the mechanisms behind this hidden Earth movement.
Source: https://www.businesstoday.in/visualstories/news/underground-peeling-begins-scientists-discover-earths-crust-sinking-in-real-time-227864-23-04-2025