Researchers at the University of Southampton have found something quite unusual taking place with our planet. They discovered that the Earth’s rhythmic pulses — similar to the beating of the human heart — were surging deep under the Afar region of Ethiopia in Africa. Read on to know more.
The phenomenon is caused by molten magma pounding the Earth’s crust from below (Photo credit: NASA).
Researchers at the University of Southampton in England have found something quite unusual taking place with our planet. They discovered that the Earth’s rhythmic pulses — similar to the beating of the human heart — were surging deep under the Afar region of Ethiopia in eastern Africa, where three tectonic plates meet. The phenomenon is caused by molten magma striking the Earth’s crust from below, and the study says it is slowly tearing the African continent apart, forming a new ocean.
How was the study conducted?
For the study, the researchers collected over 130 volcanic rock samples from across the Afar region and the Main Ethiopian Rift. Besides, they used existing data and advanced statistical modelling to investigate the structure of the crust and mantle. Tom Gernon, a professor of Earth Science at the Southampton University and co-author of the study, said of the findings, “The chemical striping suggests the plume is pulsing, like a heartbeat.”
“These ascending pulses of partially molten mantle are channelled by the rifting plates above. That’s important for how we think about the interaction between Earth’s interior and its surface,” said the study’s lead author Dr. Emma Watts.
What are the research findings?
The study, published in the Nature Geoscience journal on June 25, reveals how tectonic plates influence the upward flow of hot material from the deep mantle. It says a new ocean basin is forming as the continent splits, and seafloor spreading will progress along the length of the rift over millions of years.
“We have found that the evolution of deep mantle upwellings is intimately tied to the motion of the plates above. This has profound implications for how we interpret surface volcanism, earthquake activity, and the process of continental breakup,” said Dr. Derek Keir, co-author of the research and Associate Professor of Earth Science at the UK-based university.
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