New research suggests that two massive objects buried deep in the Earth’s mantle could be relics from the moon’s formation about 4.5 billion years ago.
Key highlights:
- Scientists have discovered two strange blobs in Earth’s mantle, one under Africa and the other under the South Pacific region.
- These blobs are denser than the material surrounding them, suggesting that they are made of different material.
- Scientists believe that these blobs are relics of a massive collision between Earth and another planet early in our planet’s history.
- This collision is thought to have created the Moon.
This finding, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, could help to solve two of the world’s biggest mysteries at once: how the Moon formed and what lies beneath our feet.
The two blobs are located in the lower mantle, about 2,900 kilometers below the Earth’s surface. They are each about the size of a continent and are slightly denser than the surrounding material.
Scientists have long been puzzled by these blobs, but they have not been able to explain what they are or how they got there.
The new research suggests that the blobs are the remnants of a massive collision between Earth and another planet early in our planet’s history. This collision is thought to have created the Moon.
The researchers used computer simulations to show that the collision would have caused material from the impacting planet to embed itself in the lower mantle. This material would have been slightly denser than the surrounding mantle, which is why the blobs are still there today.
The researchers say that their findings provide strong evidence for the giant impact hypothesis, which is the leading theory for how the Moon formed.
“Our results suggest that the giant impact is not just a viable explanation for the formation of the Moon,” said lead author Dr. Qian Yuan from the University of California, Davis. “It is the only explanation that can account for the existence of these strange blobs in the mantle.”
The researchers say that their findings could also have implications for our understanding of the early Earth.
“The giant impact would have had a profound effect on the early Earth,” said Dr. Yuan. “It would have caused widespread melting and mixing of the mantle. This could have helped to distribute the ingredients that are essential for life, such as water and carbon.”
The researchers say that they are now planning to study the blobs in more detail to learn more about their composition and origin.
Implications for the future:
The discovery of these blobs has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the early Earth and the Moon. It could also lead to new insights into the formation of other planets and moons in the solar system.
The researchers say that they are excited to continue studying the blobs and to learn more about their secrets.
