Scientists image mysterious rock zone 3,000 km beneath Earth’s surface

What is the News?

Scientists have scanned a rock structure that is located 3,000 kilometres beneath Hawaii and is known to slow earthquake waves.

What have the scientists found?

Scientists have found a rock structure that is located 3,000 kilometres beneath Hawaii.

This structure is known to slow earthquake waves. They found that the speed of the earthquake waves travelling through the base could be 40% slower than the surrounding regions.

How did these ultra-low-velocity zones form?

The Rock Structure’s origins can be traced to around four billion years ago when the Earth was an infant. Around this time, scientists believe a Mars-sized rock crashed into the earth raising the planet’s temperatures and creating a magma ocean.

At some point, the iron materials likely descended deep into the interiors forming pockets called the ultra-low-velocity zones.

Source: The post is based on the article “Scientists image mysterious rock zone 3,000 km beneath Earth’s surface” published in Down To Earth on 20th May 2022.