Ancient ocean floor found beneath the Earth's surface: interesting details emerge

Many people believe that the main secrets of the Earth have already been discovered and that nothing fundamentally new can be learned. However, scientists are constantly proving that this is not the case.

Science Alert writes that researchers have discovered traces of the ancient ocean floor, which may cover the Earth's core. The highest-resolution geological map of the southern hemisphere of the Earth helped to spot it.

The map revealed a thin but dense layer located at a depth of approximately 2900 km below the surface. This is where the molten outer metal core meets the rocky mantle above it.

The new data will help to deepen knowledge of the planet's structure to study many phenomena, from volcanic eruptions to changes in the Earth's magnetic field. "Seismic surveys such as ours provide high-resolution images of our planet's internal structure, and we are finding that this structure is much more complex than previously thought," said geologist Samantha Hansen of the University of Alabama.

Hansen's team used data from 15 monitoring stations located in the Arctic to map seismic waves from earthquakes over three years. The way these waves move makes it possible to study the material that makes up the Earth. "By analysing [thousands] of seismic records from Antarctica, our high-resolution imaging method revealed thin anomalous zones of material in the relict radiation everywhere we looked," said geophysicist Edward Garnero of Arizona State University.

According to the scientists, the thickness of the detected material varies from several kilometres to tens of kilometres. Most likely, this is oceanic crust, which has been deep underground for millions of years since its existence. The researchers do not rule out that it may be not only the ocean floor, but some other structure, but it is the seabed hypothesis that prevails so far.

There is also an assumption that the discovered oceanic crust could be wrapped around the entire core. But because it is so thin, it is not yet possible to determine this. Future seismic surveys should answer these questions.

One method that can help geologists is to study the movement of heat from the hotter and denser core to the mantle. The differences in composition between these two layers are more significant than the difference between the solid surface rocks and the air above them in the part of the world where we live. "Our study establishes important links between the Earth's shallow and deep structure and the overall processes that govern our planet," says Hansen.

OBOZREVATEL previously told us what catastrophe could threaten Earth if the rotation of the planet's core accelerates.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL's Telegram and Viber channels to keep up with the latest news.