Researchers uncover 'submerged realms' concealed deep within Earth's mantle that defy expectations.

2025-04-02 03:12:31 By Patricia Brown

A novel method for assessing formations deep within the Earth has revealed a multitude of previously unidentified masses in the planet's mantle. These anomalies bear a striking resemblance to submerged pieces of Earth's crust, yet they are found in locations that seem highly improbable.

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Recent studies have discovered several possible subducted slabs in unexpected areas within Earth's mantle, which is the second layer from the surface of our planet.

Potential patches of Earth's ancient crust, sometimes called "sunken worlds," may have just been discovered deep within the mantle, thanks to a new way of mapping the inside of our planet. However, these mysterious blobs appear in places they should not, leaving researchers scratching their heads.

For decades, scientists have been building up a better picture of Earth's interior by using seismographs — 3D images created by measuring how seismic waves from earthquakes reverberate deep within our planet. This method has helped scientists identify ancient sections of the planet's crust, known as subducted slabs, that have been pulled into the mantle through subduction zones where tectonic plates meet. For example, in October 2024, researchers announced the discovery of a section of seafloor that had sunk deep into the mantle below Easter Island.

In a study published Nov. 4, 2024, in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers revealed that they had discovered "numerous" potential subducted slabs throughout Earth's mantle, using a new type of seismographic imaging. (Little information about the size, shape and exact locations of the blobs has been revealed so far.)

In contrast to the previously recognized subducted slabs that are situated in regions of active or historically intense tectonic plate interactions, some of the newly discovered anomalies appear in locations devoid of any documented tectonic activity, including beneath the western Pacific Ocean. Consequently, the origins of these anomalies remain uncertain.

"That's our dilemma," Thomas Schouten, a doctoral candidate at the ETH Zurich Geological Institute in Switzerland, said in a statement released Jan. 7. "With the new high-resolution model, we can see such anomalies everywhere in the Earth's mantle. But we don't know exactly what they are."

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The latest model reveals areas within the Earth's mantle where seismic waves move at a reduced speed (indicated in blue), implying the presence of potentially subducted slab fragments.

There could be alternative interpretations for the recently identified blobs. One possibility is that they are composed of crust-like substances that originated from the mantle's formation 4 billion years ago. Another option is that these blobs are made up of other dense materials that have developed within the mantle over the last few hundred million years.

Nonetheless, these are merely other hypotheses. Currently, the identity of these blobs continues to be a "significant enigma," as stated by representatives from ETH Zurich.

Discovering "submerged realms"

Up to this point, our understanding of the Earth's interior has relied on the integration of various seismographs produced by individual earthquakes occurring around the world. However, in a recent study, scientists employed an innovative technique called full-waveform inversion. This approach utilizes computer simulations to merge these seismographs into a cohesive and detailed representation.

This is a computationally intensive method, and to pull it off, researchers had to run the model on the Piz Daint supercomputer at the Swiss National Supercomputer Center in Lugano — formerly Europe's most powerful computer — to crunch the numbers.

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The recently identified blobs are situated away from any existing or historical fault lines associated with tectonic plates.

Study co-author Andreas Fichtner, a seismologist at ETH Zurich who created the full-waveform model used in the new research, compared the use of full-waveform inversion to medical imaging advancements. Imagine a doctor has been studying the circulatory system for decades, Fichtner said. "Then, if you give [them] a new, better examination tool, [they] suddenly see an artery in the buttock that doesn't really belong there," Fichtner explained. "That's exactly how we feel about the new findings."

Scientists speculate that the recently identified blobs could be subducted slabs, primarily due to the fact that seismic waves pass through them at identical speeds. However, this does not ensure that they are indeed the same entity, and further investigation is required to determine if they truly share characteristics.

"To understand the varying speeds of the different wave types, we need to assess the various material parameters," Schouten explained. "In essence, we must investigate the underlying material properties that influence wave speed."

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Unveiling the Remarkable Strength of Celtic Women and Their Daughters

Bournemouth University View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Numerous female skeletons were discovered interred alongside precious items such as pottery. New research suggests that women in Britain 2,000 years ago may have transferred land and wealth to their daughters rather than their sons, indicating that communities were organized around maternal lineage. Skeletons discovered in Dorset revealed DNA evidence indicating that Celtic men relocated to reside with the families and communities of their wives. Researchers discovered indications of an entire community that developed over generations centered on the female lineage of a family, likely tracing back to a single woman. "According to Dr. Lara Cassidy, the lead author of the study from Trinity College Dublin, this suggests that during the Iron Age in Britain, women held significant power and were capable of influencing the society's direction in various aspects." Bournemouth University View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The archaeologists were thrilled to discover skeletons remarkably well-preserved in the clay soil of Dorset. This marks the first documented instance of communities forming around women in ancient European history. Researchers suggest that the communities likely devoted significant resources to their daughters, anticipating that they would inherit their mothers' social standing. Dr. Cassidy remarks, "While it's quite uncommon in today's societies, this may not have always been true." The team discovered indications that it occurred in various locations across Britain, implying that it was prevalent. The communities examined thrived during the era of Boudica, the warrior queen who spearheaded a revolt against Roman forces in East Anglia circa AD 61. Dr. Cassidy analyzed the DNA extracted from the skeletal remains of 57 members of a tribe known as the Durotriges. This group inhabited Winterborne Kingston in Dorset during the period spanning from 100 BC to AD 100. A team of archaeologists from Bournemouth University excavated the skeletons from a burial site. Through the analysis of mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited exclusively from mothers, Dr. Cassidy discovered that the majority of women in the community share a familial connection that stretches back several generations. In contrast, the Y chromosomes exhibited significant diversity, which is inherited from father to son, suggesting that men from various families integrated into the community through marriage. Bournemouth University View pictures in App save up to 80% data. The remains of individuals from the Durotriges tribe were remarkably well-preserved. The DNA examination suggests that the majority of the ancestral lineage can be traced back to one particular woman. The findings suggest that this society operated under a matrilocal structure, where a husband would relocate to reside within his wife's community. Dr. Cassidy states, "One of the most apparent advantages for a woman is that by staying at home, she maintains her support network. Her parents, siblings, and family members remain close by." "Your husband is the one entering the picture; he is the unfamiliar face in the community and relies on your family for his support and land," she continues. The researchers discovered similar evidence of matrilocality in skeletal remains from additional burial sites, including those located in Cornwall and Yorkshire. She argues that instances of influential women in ancient societies have frequently been overlooked as isolated cases rather than the standard, but these discoveries call that perspective into question. Archaeologists Professor Miles Russell and Professor Martin Smith discovered additional proof indicating that women held a significant status. Bournemouth University View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Researchers from Trinity College and Bournemouth conducted excavations and analyses on the remains of 57 individuals. "We find quite elaborately furnished graves with high status objects of wealth. Every time we find that, it occurs in women's graves, so we think wealth was being transferred down the female line," says Prof Martin Smith at Bournemouth University. The results also support ancient Roman texts that indicated women in Britain held considerable power, arguably even greater than that of their counterparts in Rome. However, Romans such as Julius Caesar considered that to be a mark of primitiveness. "According to Professor Miles Russell from Bournemouth University, 'Women in Britain held significant power, contributing to a more egalitarian society. This was a major issue for the Romans, who lived in a highly patriarchal culture. To the Romans, this characteristic made the Britons appear as the epitome of barbarism.'" Most societies today follow a patrilocal structure, where women relocate to the communities of their husbands. However, certain matrilocal communities can still be found today or have existed in the recent past, such as the Akans in Ghana, West Africa, and the Cherokee in North America. Researchers suggest that Iron Age Britain might have been matrilocal, as men were often absent due to warfare. Dr. Cassidy likens it to World War II, a time when women experienced an increase in their political and economic influence. According to her, matrilocal societies tend to have a lower likelihood of facing internal conflicts. "It has the potential to foster a sense of togetherness among nearby communities and villages. By separating clusters of related males, it prevents the formation of deep bonds and the onset of conflicts with neighboring related males," she proposes. The results have been released in the scientific publication Nature. Follow Georgina on Blue Sky.

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