All articles tagged with #mantle plume
New mapping and rock analyses show the 500‑km King’s Trough off Portugal formed 37–24 million years ago where a temporary plate boundary intersected a mantle plume, causing intense fracturing and basin formation but stopping short of a full seafloor‑spreading ridge; the plume likely connects to the Azores system, offering a living example of how such underwater canyons develop under tectonic and thermal forces.
Scientists mapped the King’s Trough, a 500+ km underwater canyon in the North Atlantic, and determined it formed over millions of years by the slow separation of the European and African plates via a tectonic 'zipper,' aided by unusually thick, hot crust from the Azores mantle plume. The finding, reported after METEOR expedition data and high‑resolution sonar, links deep mantle processes to surface tectonics and reshapes how we think about underwater canyon formation.
Scientists have discovered a pulsing mantle plume beneath Ethiopia's Afar region, which is gradually splitting the continent and may lead to the formation of a new ocean, driven by rhythmic surges of hot mantle material that influence tectonic rifting.
Deep beneath East Africa's Afar region, a pulsing mantle plume is causing tectonic plates to diverge, potentially leading to the formation of a new ocean in 20-30 million years as the continent splits along rifts, offering insight into the Earth's geological processes.
Scientists have discovered rhythmic pulses of molten mantle rock beneath Ethiopia's Afar Rift, which influence the stretching and cracking of Earth's crust, potentially leading to the formation of a new ocean basin, and revealing a dynamic connection between deep Earth processes and surface geological activity.
A pulsing mantle plume beneath Ethiopia is gradually pulling the region apart and creating a new ocean, with chemical signatures indicating rhythmic surges of molten rock that vary depending on the thickness of the overlying tectonic plates, providing insights into volcanic activity and continental breakup.
Scientists have discovered rhythmic pulses of molten mantle rising beneath Africa's Afar region, revealing a dynamic, pulsing mantle plume that influences tectonic rifting and ocean formation, with implications for volcanism and earthquakes.
Scientists have discovered a mysterious 'ghost plume' of hot rock beneath eastern Oman, which suggests that Earth's core may be leaking heat faster than previously thought. This invisible mantle plume, detected through seismic wave analysis, does not produce surface volcanic activity due to a thick rock lid, but its existence could imply many more such plumes worldwide, impacting our understanding of Earth's internal heat distribution and tectonic processes.
Scientists have identified a 'ghost' mantle plume beneath Oman, a hot rock column with no surface volcanic activity, which could reshape understanding of Earth's internal heat flow and geological processes. The discovery, based on seismic data and computer modeling, suggests the existence of similar hidden plumes worldwide, potentially impacting models of Earth's thermal evolution.
Researchers at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa have discovered that the undersea volcano Kama'ehu has erupted at least five times in the past 150 years. This is the first time the ages of these eruptions have been estimated, shedding light on the growth and evolution of the volcano. The study also revealed that Kama'ehu's lava chemistry changes over a timescale of about 1200 years, in contrast to the more rapid changes observed in lava from the neighboring volcano Kīlauea. The findings provide insights into the behavior of Hawaiian volcanoes and the role of the mantle plume beneath the Hawaiian hotspot.