Researchers from the University of Alabama have discovered a new layer between the Earth's core and mantle, which they believe to be a sunken ocean floor. The layer may play a crucial role in how heat escapes the core. The research used 15 stations buried in Antarctica to send sound waves towards the boundary of the core and mantle. The findings were published in the journal Science Advances. The area of research is roughly 2,000 miles below the surface, where Earth's rocky mantle meets the molten, metallic outer core.
Researchers from The University of Alabama used seismic imaging to discover a dense layer of ancient ocean floor, or ultra-low velocity zone (ULVZ), between Earth’s core and mantle. This layer of ULVZ is denser than the rest of the deep mantle, slowing seismic waves reverberating beneath the surface. These underground “mountains” may play an important role in how heat escapes from the core, the portion of the planet that powers the magnetic field.
Researchers from the University of Alabama have discovered a layer between the Earth's core and mantle that is likely a dense, yet thin, sunken ocean floor. The layer contains underground "mountains" that may play a crucial role in how heat escapes from the core. The research involved burying 15 sensing stations in Antarctica to collect data on the core-mantle boundary, which is pencil-thin compared to the Earth's dominant regions. The findings suggest that the Earth's core is vastly more complicated than previously thought.
