The Earth's core shows signs of leaking in Hawaii

Research led by geophysicist Zhi Li from the University of Cambridge - UK has investigated a strange area beneath Hawaii, where a mass of matter 20 km high, 900 km in diameter resides at the bottom of the deep mantle. , as if sprouting from the Earth's iron core.

"Of all the features deep inside the Earth, this is the most complex and fascinating. Now we have the first solid evidence of their inner structure, which is a veritable landmark in the universe. deep seismic research," said Dr. Zhi Li.

Earth consists of crust, shallow mantle, deep mantle, outer core and inner core

According to Science Alert, the latest computational modeling techniques have helped reconstruct the mysterious velocity region beneath Hawaii, as well as reveal that it is most likely related to Hawaii being a volcanic hotspot of the planet. It is possible that it was material from this region that contributed to the flow of molten rock that penetrated the surface.

Seismologist Sanne Cottaar from the University of Cambridge, co-author, suggests that the material that makes up the ultra-low-velocity zone may be the remains of ancient rocks from the very beginning of the Earth, a different type of rock. modern, and it is also possible that iron leaked from the core in some unknown way.

Description of the extremely low-velocity region below Hawaii

Some other research groups also think that it could be the ruins of Theia - a hypothetical planet the size of Mars, which crashed into Earth billions of years ago and then merged. Or it could be something amalgamated between Theia and iron from the leaking core.

The hypothesis that the Earth's iron-nickel core is oozing out and creeping into the upper layers is still of most interest. The researchers say they are surveying basalt on the Hawaiian surface for evidence of core matter.

The study has just been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.