Scientists have been studying a mysterious shift in Earth’s gravity field that occurred between 2006 and 2008, but new research suggests the anomaly may have originated from deep beneath our feet. Researchers used data collected by the GRACE satellite mission to track minute changes in gravity and found that it could be linked to a phase transition in a mineral called perovskite.
The shift, which was undetectable at the surface, caused subtle changes in the distance between the twin spacecraft as they orbited Earth. The team believes that this phenomenon may have originated from a process occurring thousands of kilometers beneath our feet – at the boundary between the planet’s mantle and outer core.
They propose that the phase transition could have altered the density of material at the base of the mantle, distorting the shape of the core itself. This, in turn, may have sent waves of stress into surrounding material, temporarily deforming the outer core by as much as 10 centimeters.
The study’s findings offer a glimpse into the complex interactions between Earth’s mantle dynamics, core structure, and magnetic field. While speculative, the links between these systems could potentially produce magnetic disturbances at the surface.
Gravity data has proven to be a valuable tool in understanding the planet’s interior mechanics, allowing scientists to peer inside the planet without drilling or seismic waves. The GRACE mission has opened a new observational window, and future work may involve correlating gravity shifts with other satellite observations to build a more comprehensive picture of Earth’s internal engine.
The discovery raises questions about whether this type of gravitational blip is a one-off event or part of a larger pattern. If more anomalies like this are detected, they could change how scientists model Earth’s internal dynamics and potentially reveal new insights into our planet’s mysterious core.
Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/09/something-in-the-bowels-of-the-earth-altered-its-gravity