Something is ‘pulsing’ beneath the Earth, scientists say – and could tear a continent apart
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The deep Earth discovery that could put a new ocean where a continent is
- Scientists have detected rhythmic surges of molten mantle rock, described as similar to a heartbeat, deep beneath the African continent.
- These upward-surging pulses of hot mantle could eventually lead to the continent tearing apart and the formation of a new ocean over millions of years.
- Evidence for this phenomenon was found in the Afar region of Ethiopia, a triple junction where three tectonic rifts converge.
- Emma Watson, lead scientist of the study published in journal Nature Geoscience, explained that the mantle beneath Afar is not static but pulses, with these ascending molten channels being guided by the overriding rifting plates.
- The research highlights how deep mantle upwellings are linked to plate motion, influencing surface volcanism, earthquake activity, and the process of continental breakup.