A new method of analysing earthquake data has found that there are blobs of hot, dense material that curls around Earth’s core. They are continent-sized zones.

While these ‘blobs’ have been discovered before, scientists were surprised to find that they were widespread and more of them exist than expected. What these blobs are made of, is not certain for now.

What are the details of the study?

The Earth’s core boundary lies some 2,900 km below Earth’s surface. It is very hot there and we cannot send instruments to study it.

However, by studying how earthquakes move through different materials, scientists have been able to make a map of Earth’s interior. That is how the ‘blobs’ were identified years ago. They are known as ultra-low velocity zones.

Recently, a team of international scientists decided to use an algorithm (computer programme) used for studying stars, to identify more ultra-low velocity zones. The algorithm is called the Sequencer. It’s designed to run through large astronomical datasets looking for patterns.

After some adjustments, they used it to search through 30 years of seismic (activity under the Earth) data and it was a great success.

It revealed a previously undetected ultra-low velocity zone beneath the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific.

In addition, it also showed that the known ultra-low velocity zone beneath Hawaii is much larger than previously known.

All these suggest that the Earth’s guts are more ‘blobby’ than we thought.

Similar Stories

• Earth’s Core Wobble: 8.5-Year Mystery
• Core of Planet Earth Leaks: Scientists Decode Reasons!
• Planet Earth’s Core – It’s getting cooler in there!

Watch a video

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