Researchers Discover Mysterious "Sunken Worlds" Deep Within Earth's Mantle

New research has unveiled the existence of numerous potential "sunken worlds" deep within the Earth's mantle, identified through advanced seismographic imaging. These anomalies, reminiscent of ancient crust sections known as subducted slabs, have been detected in unexpected locations, raising questions about their origins.

For decades, scientists have utilized seismographs to create three-dimensional images of the Earth's inner structure by analyzing how seismic waves from earthquakes travel through different layers. Recent advancements in a method called full-waveform inversion have allowed researchers to produce clearer images of the mantle, leading to the discovery of these unusual blobs.

Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study indicates that some of these newly identified blobs are located far from common tectonic activity zones. This includes locations beneath the western Pacific Ocean, where no known tectonic interactions have occurred. The implications of these findings suggest that these anomalies could either be remnants of Earth's early crust or dense materials that have developed in the mantle over millions of years.

While these discoveries pose significant questions about the material and processes involved within the mantle, scientist Thomas Schouten from ETH Zurich emphasizes the need for further studies to uncover the true nature of these anomalies.

The advanced imaging technique used in this research resembles medical imaging breakthroughs, providing a deeper understanding of Earth's composition and the geological processes shaping it.