For the first time, scientists from around the world have recovered a large section of rocks from the Earth’s mantle. This layer is just below the crust and makes up most of the planet’s interior. Understanding it can help us learn more about some of Earth’s most explosive features.
The 4,160-foot-long piece of mantle rock was found at a spot called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This ridge runs for over 10,000 miles along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean and is part of the longest mountain range on Earth.
The rocks were uncovered during an expedition in Spring 2023, led by the International Ocean Discovery Program. The team hopes that studying these rocks will help them understand how life originated on Earth, how volcanoes are formed when parts of the mantle melt, and how it affects global cycles of important elements like hydrogen and carbon.
The researchers found that the rocks have a different composition than they expected. There is less of one mineral called pyroxene and more magnesium than predicted. This suggests that there was more melting in the mantle than thought, which could help us understand how magma forms and leads to volcanism.
The team also discovered channels through which melt travels through the mantle and up to the surface. This information can help scientists track how magma moves from its source to volcanoes on the ocean floor.
In addition, the study found that a mineral called olivine reacts with salty seawater in certain ways. This process generates hydrogen and other molecules that could have fueled life on Earth.
The researchers believe that these early rocks are similar to those that existed on Earth when life first emerged. By studying them, scientists can learn more about the chemical and physical environments that might have supported life in the distant past.
Source: https://www.popsci.com/science/earth-mantle-rocks/