All articles tagged with #mantle plume
New mantle-convection modeling links the Indian Ocean geoid low to a hidden hot mantle plume rising from Africa and traveling beneath the Indian Ocean, creating a mass deficit that weakens gravity in the region; the findings align with satellite data and illuminate deep-Earth processes, though uncertainties remain about ancient plate motions and plume dynamics.
New research published in Science argues Yellowstone's magma system is heated by tectonic forces within the crust—driven by lithospheric stretching and the sinking Farallon slab—rather than by a deep mantle plume, a shift that could alter eruption models and future forecasts.
Scientists have identified a hidden mantle plume beneath eastern Oman, nicknamed the Dani plume, detected through seismic tomography. It rises through the mantle and heats rock enough to soften it but does not break through the crust or produce surface volcanism, classifying it as a 'ghost plume'. The plume extends at least 410 miles deep and about 125 miles wide, with a thermal signature that warps the mantle transition zone and even lifts surface terrain like Oman’s Salma Plateau. The researchers suggest such plumes can influence crustal motion (potentially nudging the Indian Plate about 40 million years ago) and may be part of a broader network of plumes connected to hotspots like Afar and Yellowstone, with implications for Earth's heat budget and deep‑Earth dynamics.
A new Science paper argues Yellowstone’s volcanism isn’t driven by a fixed mantle plume but by stresses from the vanished Farallon plate under North America. The geophysical model describes a translithospheric magma plumbing system with two branches feeding the Yellowstone caldera and the Snake River Plain; the crust’s geometry and mantle flow create conduits for molten material, explaining two different styles of volcanism at a single hotspot. While the approach links Yellowstone to historical plate movements, it remains a present‑day snapshot and leaves questions about history and why Yellowstone is unique still open.
NASA’s InSight data, compared with Viking measurements, indicate Mars’s day is shortening slightly over time; Delft University researchers propose a buried, buoyant mantle plume—an equatorial negative mass anomaly—that could push lighter material upward while denser material moves downward, speeding Mars’ rotation and potentially triggering volcanism, a finding that points to a more active interior and strengthens the case for a dedicated gravity mission to study Mars’ interior.
A study using NASA’s InSight data and Viking observations finds Mars’ day length is shortening very slightly, resulting in a rotation speed-up of about 70 microseconds per year. Researchers propose a deep underground negative mass anomaly beneath the Tharsis region is rising, creating melt pockets and moving heavier material toward the rotation axis, which would speed up the planet’s spin and suggests a more active interior with more internal heat than previously thought.
A study using NASA’s InSight data and computer models suggests a buoyant mantle plume beneath Mars’ Tharsis region could redistribute mass and cause the planet to rotate slightly faster over time, potentially explaining Mars’s changing spin and implying smaller rocky worlds may stay geologically active longer than previously thought.
Geoscientists mapped the King’s Trough, a 500-kilometer canyon-like feature about 1,000 km off Portugal, and concluded it formed around 37–24 million years ago due to a transient plate boundary that fractured the seafloor. A hot mantle plume likely weakened the crust, aiding tectonic forces; the boundary later migrated south toward the Azores, with the finding supported by high-resolution mapping and volcanic rock analysis and suggesting parallels with the Terceira Rift.
New mapping and rock analyses show the 500‑km King’s Trough off Portugal formed 37–24 million years ago where a temporary plate boundary intersected a mantle plume, causing intense fracturing and basin formation but stopping short of a full seafloor‑spreading ridge; the plume likely connects to the Azores system, offering a living example of how such underwater canyons develop under tectonic and thermal forces.
Scientists mapped the King’s Trough, a 500+ km underwater canyon in the North Atlantic, and determined it formed over millions of years by the slow separation of the European and African plates via a tectonic 'zipper,' aided by unusually thick, hot crust from the Azores mantle plume. The finding, reported after METEOR expedition data and high‑resolution sonar, links deep mantle processes to surface tectonics and reshapes how we think about underwater canyon formation.
Scientists have discovered a pulsing mantle plume beneath Ethiopia's Afar region, which is gradually splitting the continent and may lead to the formation of a new ocean, driven by rhythmic surges of hot mantle material that influence tectonic rifting.
Deep beneath East Africa's Afar region, a pulsing mantle plume is causing tectonic plates to diverge, potentially leading to the formation of a new ocean in 20-30 million years as the continent splits along rifts, offering insight into the Earth's geological processes.
Scientists have discovered rhythmic pulses of molten mantle rock beneath Ethiopia's Afar Rift, which influence the stretching and cracking of Earth's crust, potentially leading to the formation of a new ocean basin, and revealing a dynamic connection between deep Earth processes and surface geological activity.
A pulsing mantle plume beneath Ethiopia is gradually pulling the region apart and creating a new ocean, with chemical signatures indicating rhythmic surges of molten rock that vary depending on the thickness of the overlying tectonic plates, providing insights into volcanic activity and continental breakup.
Scientists have discovered rhythmic pulses of molten mantle rising beneath Africa's Afar region, revealing a dynamic, pulsing mantle plume that influences tectonic rifting and ocean formation, with implications for volcanism and earthquakes.