{"id":5703,"date":"2023-03-06T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=5703"},"modified":"2023-02-23T12:09:12","modified_gmt":"2023-02-23T12:09:12","slug":"intense-deep-earthquakes-may-be-the-key-to-revealing-previously-unknown-details-about-the-earths-mantle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/intense-deep-earthquakes-may-be-the-key-to-revealing-previously-unknown-details-about-the-earths-mantle\/","title":{"rendered":"Intense \u201cDeep\u201d Earthquakes May Be the Key to Revealing Previously-Unknown Details About the Earth\u2019s Mantle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

According to a new study published in Nature<\/a>, a layer of fluid rock could be at the bottom of the upper mantle that circles the Earth. The discovery was made by measuring the lingering movement detected by GPS sensors on islands in the Pacific Ocean near Fiji.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cFiji Marine Conservation<\/a>\u201d by Frontierofficial<\/a> is licensed under CC BY 2.0<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This is the first solid observation of deformation following deep quakes, which could explain some other seismologists\u2019 suggestions that there may exist \u201cstagnant\u201d rock slabs at the bottom of the upper mantle that doesn\u2019t move much. \u201cIt has been hard to reproduce those features with models, but the weak layer found in this study makes it easier to do so,\u201d said Sunyoung Park<\/a>, a geophysicist at the University of Chicago<\/a> and the study\u2019s lead author.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cThe Inner Layers Of Planet Earth<\/a>\u201d by BlatantWorld.com<\/a> is licensed under CC BY 2.0<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The mantle is the layer beneath the Earth\u2019s crust made of rock, but at those extreme temperatures and pressures, the rock becomes viscous, flowing slowly like honey or tar. The properties of the Earth\u2019s mantle are critical to its evolution, influencing how much heat the planet retains for how long and how its materials cycle over time. However, our current understanding is minimal and is based on numerous assumptions.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cLava Ooze<\/a>\u201d by Perceptions Unlimited<\/a> is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Park reasoned that studying the aftermath of intense earthquakes might provide a novel way to measure the properties of the mantle. These earthquakes reach deep into the mantle, and Park believed they could help him understand how it works. The scientists examined data from GPS sensors on several nearby islands. They discovered that the Earth continued to move in the months following the 2018 Fiji earthquake<\/a>, eventually settling in its wake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers discovered evidence of a layer about 50 mi (80.46 km)\u00a0 thick that is less viscous than the rest of the mantle and sits at the bottom of the upper mantle layer by examining how the Earth deformed over time. They believe this layer may extend around the world. This low-viscosity layer may affect how the Earth transports heat, cycles materials, and mixes them over time between the crust, core, and mantle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/h1>\n\n\n\n