A team of geophysicists from ETH Zurich in Switzerland has made a surprising discovery while analyzing earthquake waves to study the Earth’s internal structures. The researchers found areas in the planet’s interior that appear to be remnants of submerged tectonic plates deep below large oceans, including the Pacific.
The finding presents scientists with a new puzzle: these leftover pieces are far away from plate boundaries and don’t match the expected locations. This suggests that there may be an unknown “lost world” lurking beneath the ocean floor, highlighting the vast amount still to be learned about the Earth’s interior.
To analyze the earthquake data, the team used a supercomputer to create a high-resolution model of the Earth’s interior. They found evidence of submerged plates in areas not previously known for geological activity, such as plate subduction zones.
By studying how earthquake waves propagate, scientists can deduce the density and elasticity of the rocky material they travel through. This data helps build a map of the Earth’s mantle composition.
The discovery surprised scientists because existing models predicted no material would be present in this area due to the lack of plate subduction. “Apparently, such zones in the Earth’s mantle are much more widespread than previously thought,” said first author Thomas Schouten.
The team is still unsure about the type of material these remnants are made of and how they affect the Earth’s internal dynamics. They suggest that ancient silica-rich material or iron-rich rocks could be responsible for the patterns observed.
To improve their model, the researchers need to calculate different material parameters that generate the observed wave speeds. This requires a deeper understanding of the material properties behind the wave speed data.
Source: https://futurism.com/evidence-lost-world-under-pacific-ocean