A Scientific Breakthrough.. The Discovery Of A Hidden Layer In The Planet Earth
Scientists were able to make a scientific breakthrough in the field of Earth's layers, after discovering a previously unknown layer.
They mentioned that the formed layer is molten rock located at a depth of 160 kilometers below the surface of the earth.
This layer covers 44 percent of the total surface of the planet.
This layer, recently discovered, is part of the asinosphere (upper mantle), which is known to be the densest and weakest layer on Earth.
The newly discovered layer is located in a region that witnesses the highest temperatures of the upper mantle, which is 1450 degrees Celsius.
The new discovery demolishes long-held theories that molten rock affects the viscosity of the asthenosphere.
"When we think of something molten, we intuitively think that fusion plays a role in the viscosity of the material," University of Texas researcher Julian Hua said in a statement.
"But what we found is that even if the melt is very high, its effect on mantle flow is very small," he added.
Previous theories say that the movement of tectonic plates is caused by convection currents in the molten rocks in the earth's mantle below the planet's crust.
But Hua and his fellow researchers at the University of Texas put these theories aside.
He is a postdoctoral researcher at the Jackson Institute for Geosciences at the University of Texas, and has studied seismic images of the upper mantle below Turkish soil.
During this study, he discovered signs of partially molten rock.
In the past, scientists monitored the existence of this layer, but it was believed at the time that it was an extreme case, but Hua and his colleagues found evidence of its existence on a large scale.
And the American “CNN” network stated that the new discovery can help scientists learn more about the movement of plates, which not only contribute to causing earthquakes and forming mountains, but also play a greater role in shaping the environment by providing physical and chemical conditions to support life on the planet.
The researchers at the University of Texas confirmed that the upper mantle layer consists of solid and molten rocks, and despite the latter's non-solid nature, it contributes to the movement of the plates or makes them easier to move.
Hua emphasized that the biggest challenge facing the study of the Earth's inner layers is the difficulty of collecting data from such abysmal depths.
Therefore, the waves generated by earthquakes were relied upon to study those layers, just like CT images in hospitals, according to the study's lead researcher.
More than 700 images taken from earthquake detectors were collected, and based on them a map of the upper mantle was drawn.
During the analysis, the researchers monitored the movement of seismic waves through several areas under the earth's crust, and there were changes in speed, direction and time of arrival to the detection sites.
He concluded that finding the new layer helps make seismic waves move slowly.
Source : websites