Hidden Mantle Structures 620 Miles High Found Beneath Earth's Surface

Govind Tekale

Scientists have discovered two enormous structures buried deep within Earth's mantle that dwarf Mount Everest and challenge our understanding of the planet's interior.

Photo Source: Papa Lima Whiskey 2 (CC BY-SA 2.0)

These mysterious masses, known as Large Low-Shear-Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs), lie roughly 1,200 miles beneath Africa and the Pacific Ocean.

Photo Source: Sanne.cottaar (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Arwen Deuss explains that nobody knows what LLSVPs are, and whether they are only a temporary phenomenon or if they have been there for millions or perhaps even billions of years.

Photo Source: Saane.cottaar (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Scientists, such as Professor Andreas Fichtner from ETH Zurich, detected them by studying how earthquake waves travel through Earth's interior.

Photo Source: geo.mtu.edu (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Earthquake vibrations allow researchers to peer into inaccessible depths, because unexpectedly, seismic waves passing through LLSVPs maintain their strength while slowing down.

Photo Source: United Nations Development Programme (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

These structures contain minerals with large crystals, different from surrounding areas where earthquake waves lose energy crossing numerous smaller crystal boundaries.

Photo Source: Martin Heigan (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The findings challenge previous theories about Earth's mantle being well-mixed; instead, these structures appear to persist despite the movement of tectonic plates above them.

Photo Source:  alex grichenko (Needpix)

Scientists work to determine the exact composition and origin of these massive structures, which could hold clues about Earth's earliest days, such as its internal dynamics.

Photo Source: Yuri Samoilov (CC BY 2.0)

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