All articles tagged with #mantle upwelling
Scientists modeling Earth’s interior propose a long-lived, hot, low-density mantle upwelling originating beneath Africa drifts east beneath the Indian Ocean, reducing local mass and producing the observed geoid low. The idea, supported by 100-million-year simulations and the Indian plate’s motion, explains why satellite data show a persistent dip in the sea surface, though the interpretation is still debated.
New measurements show the East African Rift widening faster than models predicted, thinning crust and forming early oceanic crust as the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian plates diverge at Afar. If this continues, Africa could split into two and a new ocean basin may form in 5–10 million years, with significant seismic, infrastructure, and geothermal implications for the region.
Scientists have identified a 'geological heartbeat' in the mantle beneath the Afar Depression, revealing how pulsing mantle upwellings are actively shaping the splitting of Africa and the formation of a new ocean, driven by the movement of tectonic plates and associated volcanic activity.
Deep beneath East Africa, rhythmic mantle pulses are causing the continent to split, with multiple mantle plumes fueling volcanic activity and shaping the region's geological evolution, ultimately leading to the formation of a new ocean.
Scientists have discovered that mantle upwelling beneath the Afar Depression is complex and pulsing, influenced by tectonic plate movements, which accelerates crust thinning and volcanic activity, ultimately leading to the formation of a new ocean basin in East Africa.