Mysteries From the Mantle

🌊 Deep within Earth, are vast structures called Large Low-Shear-Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs), or superplumes, that have left scientists mystified. Discovered through seismic imaging, these two provinces, the African LLSVP and the Pacific LLSVP, stretch horizontally for thousands of kilometers and possibly up to 1,000 kilometers vertically from Earth’s core-mantle boundary. 🔉

🌏 The Pacific LLSVP, spanning 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles), underlies four hotspots, suggesting multiple mantle plumes underneath. Together, these regions make up around 8% of the mantle's volume, or 6% of Earth. People also call them "superswells," "thermo-chemical piles," or "hidden reservoirs," reflecting different ideas about their effects. ⚗️

🤷‍♂️ Despite these names and ongoing studies, LLSVPs remain mysterious. Questions linger about what they are, where they come from, and what impact they have on Earth. Recent studies even propose that superplumes could be remnants of an ancient planet called Theia, which collided with Earth and played a role in forming the Moon. 🌙

👨‍🔬 Scientists, however, are still trying to understand these anomalies and figure out their origins. The exploration of what lies beneath the Earth's surface continues, with many questions still waiting to be answered. 🤯

-1oddday 🎙️💨