Ancient formation discovered wrapped around Earth's core
The structure of the Earth beneath our feet has been fascinating to members of the scientific community recently, and it turns out it’s far more complex than people initially thought. First, we learned of the news that there’s a massive ocean beneath the Earth’s crust which contains more water than all of the seas on the surface. Now, another study has been published which has taken an in-depth look at the geology beneath the southern hemisphere. The new research, published in Science Advances, has found evidence that an entire ocean floor actually runs the length around the core. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter This is a relatively thin layer that sits on the core-mantle boundary around 1,800 miles beneath the surface of the Earth. It's an ancient formation that could provide more insight into the structure of the planet beneath our feet. Geologist Samantha Hansen and her colleagues from the University of Alabama led the research. They observed the structure by using 15 monitoring stations under the ice of Antarctica, mapping the waves from earthquakes. Doing this allowed them to analyse the structure of the Earth below the surface, including the ultra-low velocity zones where waves moved much slower. "Seismic investigations, such as ours, provide the highest resolution imaging of the interior structure of our planet, and we are finding that this structure is vastly more complicated than once thought," Hansen said. "Analyzing [thousands] of seismic recordings from Antarctica, our high-definition imaging method found thin anomalous zones of material at the CMB everywhere we probed," geophysicist Edward Garnero from Arizona State University also said. "The material's thickness varies from a few kilometers to [tens] of kilometers. This suggests we are seeing mountains on the core, in some places up to five times taller than Mt. Everest." "Our research provides important connections between shallow and deep Earth structure and the overall processes driving our planet," Hansen added. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
Massive ocean discovered beneath the Earth's crust containing more water than on the surface
It feels like there have been staggering science stories emerging every other day recently, all of which have blown our tiny little minds. First, there was the discovery of a terrifying black hole pointing right at us, then there was a huge hole found in the sun and a missing continent found after going missing for 375 years. Now, people are only just realising that there’s a massive ocean hidden under the Earth’s crust. It turns out there’s a huge supply of water 400 miles underground stored in rock known as 'ringwoodite'. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter Scientists previously discovered that water is stored inside mantle rock in a sponge-like state, which isn’t a liquid, solid or a gas, but instead a fourth state. The scientific paper titled ‘Dehydration melting at the top of the lower mantle’ was published in 2014 and laid out the findings. "The ringwoodite is like a sponge, soaking up water, there is something very special about the crystal structure of ringwoodite that allows it to attract hydrogen and trap water," said geophysicist Steve Jacobsen at the time. "This mineral can contain a lot of water under conditions of the deep mantle,” added Jacobsen, who was part of the team behind the discovery. He added: "I think we are finally seeing evidence for a whole-Earth water cycle, which may help explain the vast amount of liquid water on the surface of our habitable planet. Scientists have been looking for this missing deep water for decades." Scientists made the findings at the time after studying earthquakes and discovering that seismometers were picking up shockwaves under the surface of the Earth. From that, they were able to establish that the water was being held in the rock known as ringwoodite. If the rock contained just 1 per cent water, it would mean that there is three times more water under the surface of the Earth than there is in the oceans on the surface. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
Every blue eyed person on the planet is a descendant of one single person
Blue eyed people listen up. Ever wondered why your eyes are the colour they are? Well wonder no more. Every blue eyed person is descended from a single European who lived around 6,000 to 10,000 years ago, according to scientists. How did they work it out? Originally, all humans had brown eyes in various shades until there was a specific mutation that made the change. The mutation is a gene called HERC2 and it switches off OCA2, the gene that determines how much brown pigment we make. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter So that's why eyes become blue. As for being descended from the same person, the evidence for this is because every blue eyed person alive today has this same mutation. Scientists reckon only 8 to 10 per cent of the population have blue eyes and eyes don't fully develop in childhood meaning the brown pigment can kick in later, causing blue eyed children to end up with brown eyes in adulthood. So if you have blue eyes, now you know - your family is a lot bigger than you might have thought previously. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
VW, Glencore Back $1 Billion SPAC Mine Deal to Secure EV Metals
Russian metal industry veteran Artem Volynets’ blank check firm agreed to acquire two Brazilian mines for $1 billion
1970-01-01 08:00
'The Idol': Is Tedros playing mind games with Leia? The Weeknd's character to take control of Jocelyn's life
Tedros look to Leia in the end of 'The Idol' Episode 2 seemed suspicious
1970-01-01 08:00
Hungary’s Economy Chief Floats Idea of Raising Inflation Target
Hungary may need to consider raising its inflation goal as price-growth is unlikely to return near the central
1970-01-01 08:00
China aircraft monitored US, France, Canada, Japan navy drill - media
BEIJING (Reuters) -China deployed a reconnaissance aircraft over Pacific waters east of Taiwan last week that Chinese media said monitored
1970-01-01 08:00
Tony Awards 2023: From Jessica Chastain to Lea Michele, here are 10 best-dressed celebs who ruled red carpet
Tony Awards 2023 was a balance of colors and conventions as these stars dazzled the night with their too-good-to-be-true outfits
1970-01-01 08:00
Soccer Aid: Triumphant World XI lift trophy after beating England
Watch the moment the World XI lifted the Soccer Aid trophy after beating England 4-2 at Old Trafford. The charity football match returned on Sunday (11 June), raising an incredible £14,619,005 for Unicef by full-time. Kem Cetinay made Soccer Aid history by becoming top scorer - he now has five goals over the years - as the World XI won 4-2 on the night. Cetinay rounded off the scoring after his captain and Olympian Usain Bolt scored the first goal before half-time. Sex Education star Asa Butterfield got England level after the break and Paul Scholes then put the Three Lions ahead. However, Robbie Keane stole the spotlight, scoring a double to put the World XI back in front, before Cetinay confirmed the team’s fifth consecutive win. Read More Soccer Aid: Who are the celebrities playing in charity football match Novak Djokovic lays down on French Open tennis court after historic win Champions League: Manchester City leave hotel after historic treble
1970-01-01 08:00
Reddit Blackout Begins as Forums Protest Charges for Developers
Millions of Reddit fans will find themselves locked out of their favorite pages in the coming days, as
1970-01-01 08:00
Further BOE Rate Hikes Can’t Be Ruled Out, Warns Policy Maker Haskel
Bank of England policy maker Jonathan Haskel said the central bank must guard against persistent inflation risks, an
1970-01-01 08:00
Jonnie Irwin explains why he hasn’t told sons about his terminal cancer: ‘Let’s bury our heads in the sand’
Jonnie Irwin has opened up about why he hasn’t told his three children that he has terminal cancer. The A Place in the Sun presenter, 49, publicly revealed his diagnosis in November 2022 after his lung cancer spread to his brain. However, his young sons, who he shares with wife Jessica Holmes, do not know that their father is dying. Irwin says it would be difficult for them to understand his situation at this age: his eldest son Rex is four-and-a-half, while twins Rafa and Cormac are turning three this month. In a new interview with Hello! magazine ahead of Father’s Day, Irwin said: “I keep being asked, ‘Are you going to tell them?’ but tell them what? “It would be horrible news that they’d have to get their heads around. And it would confuse the hell out of Rex – he’s got a shocking enough day coming. Let’s bury our heads in the sand for as long as possible.” In the meantime, Irwin and Holmes are trying to give their children a sense of normalcy by continuing to teach and play with them. Holmes described the presenter as a “great dad and a big kid himself”, adding: “All the boys gravitate to him when they want to show off and get his attention. They’re aware that Jonnie needs his rest and can’t always jump up and play football for hours, but they’re more than happy snuggled up on the sofa, watching a movie. “Story time is a big thing at bedtime and that is something I know Jonnie treasures with them.” In November, when Irwin first revealed his diagnosis, he said Rex “doesn’t need to know” about his illness yet. “We make fun of my hair – he calls it my ‘spiky head’ – but as far as he’s concerned, his dad is normal and why would I shatter that innocence?” Earlier this month, Irwin was admitted to hospital to be “monitored” as his treatment continues. He shared in an Instagram post that he was admitted to keep an eye on a “changeover in my pain management regime”. In an appearance on the OneChat podcast by insurer AIG Life, Irwin said he had been close to dying “at least twice”. “You lose your memory, you lose your patience. I have got a very short temper. It’s not made me a better person, that’s for sure,” he admitted. However, Irwin emphasised that he prefers to think of his situation as “living with cancer, rather than dying from cancer”. Read More A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis Jonnie Irwin says he’s been ‘close to death’s door twice, at least’ Jonnie Irwin says going public with terminal cancer diagnosis was day he began ‘living again’
1970-01-01 08:00
