About 2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Pythagoras wondered what the true shape of our planet might be. By research using two cities as a basis, the philosopher was able, in a series of calculations, to roughly correctly determine the spherical diameter of the Earth.
Since then, several more studies have appeared that prove what our planet looks like more than once. But like almost everything in science, this posed more questions, such as: Is the Earth round? What’s in the middle of it?
Nowadays, with the development of the scientific method and the creation of technologies, as well as space exploration, we know that the Earth consists of five layers, namely: the crust, the upper mantle (or asthenosphere), the lower mantle, and the outer and inner core. essence.
Some scientists say that for those who do not study geology in depth, it is only necessary to have knowledge of the crust, mantle, and core divisions. However, for those studying the subject, or who are interested in it, the five sections are just the right thing to know.
But what do these divisions mean for humanity? Well, for anyone who has ever heard of an earthquake or volcanic eruption or lives at high altitudes, this is essential to learn about the world.
Because it is the interaction between these layers, in proportion to the differences in composition and physical condition, that gives rise to these events.
For example, tectonic plates are large pieces of crust moving over the upper mantle (plasma), propelled by the internal energy generated by the radioactive decay of the Earth’s core.
Traces of the Earth’s crust around the core
As in the example above, tectonic plates move by what is known as convection current. These streams are masses of liquid rock (magma) flowing from the Earth’s interior to the surface. In this way, they create a new ocean floor.
Thus, this “release” of magma to the surface will create new rocks, that is, a new crust. This new crust will gradually push against the old one, and this leads to the phenomenon of continents moving.
Therefore, if there is creativity, then “destruction” or “recycling” will occur. This occurs at subduction zones, where denser tectonic plates sink into the Earth’s mantle.
At this point, the latest discovery made by scientists and published in the journal Science advances. The study was conducted using seismic waves captured by fifteen monitoring facilities in Antarctica over a three-year period.
Those responsible for the research discovered that there are points where the Earth’s magma movement is slower. These points were called ultra low velocity zones (ULVZs).
But what does that mean in practice? This means that in the region that forms the boundary between the outer core and the lower mantle, the ULVZ ends up generating conglomerates of ancient rock formations.
And as you know, all of the formation that goes back into the Earth’s interior comes from the ocean floor, so this is nothing more than ancient rocks that formed the ocean millions of years ago.
Logically, as in all science, there is still a lot to discuss about this discovery. However, the scientists responsible for the research believe that perhaps the entire core-mantle boundary is covered by a thin layer of ancient oceanic rock.
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