Latest news with #EarthandPlanetaryScienceLetters
Observer
22-06-2025
- Science
- Observer
Scientists detect Earth's first ‘ghost plume' deep beneath Oman
MUSCAT: A team of international scientists has discovered what they believe is the first confirmed "ghost plume" — a hidden column of superheated rock rising from deep within the Earth's interior — beneath the eastern region of Oman. Unlike most mantle plumes, which are typically associated with volcanic activity at the surface, this newly identified plume shows no visible signs above ground, making it exceptionally difficult to detect. The research, recently published in the prestigious journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, offers evidence of the plume, which the scientists have named the 'Dani Plume'. According to the scientists, the discovery could reshape how geologists understand the inner workings of our planet, particularly beneath continents where such features have long been suspected but rarely confirmed. Mantle plumes are hot, buoyant upwellings of rock that originate from the boundary between Earth's core and mantle — roughly 2,890 kilometers beneath the surface. As these plumes rise, they often create volcanoes and dramatic surface changes due to melting rock pushing through the crust. However, in continental regions, the thick and rigid lithosphere can prevent this molten material from reaching the surface, effectively hiding the plume from view. According to the journal, the Dani plume is an exception because, while it leaves no volcanic signature on the surface, its presence is revealed through detailed seismic analysis. When earthquake-generated waves passed through the region, scientists noticed they slowed down, indicating the presence of hotter and softer rock beneath Oman. Additional data from field measurements and computer models confirmed thermal and structural anomalies deep within the Earth. The plume is estimated to be between 200 and 300 kilometers in diameter, and up to 300°C hotter than the surrounding mantle. Although small in size, it appears to have been active for tens of millions of years. In fact, the researchers suggest it may have influenced the movement of the Indian tectonic plate around 40 million years ago and could still be affecting surface elevations in Oman today. 'This study presents interdisciplinary evidence for the existence of a 'ghost' plume beneath eastern Oman,' the researchers wrote, emphasizing that while no single piece of data was conclusive on its own, together the findings formed a robust picture. Importantly, the study also suggests that more heat may be escaping from Earth's core than previously thought. This could require scientists to revise their models of how the Earth's interior cools and evolves over time — and reassess how heat-producing elements are distributed within the planet. 'These findings have broader implications for understanding Earth's thermal and geological evolution,' the authors noted, adding that detecting hidden plumes could help scientists better model plate tectonics, ancient climate change, and even the origins of life. The scientific team comprised: Simone Pilia (Kind Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals – Saudi Arabia), Giampiero Iaffaldano (University of Parma – Italy), D Rhodri Davies (Australian National University), Mohammad Ismaiel (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research – India), Paolo A Sossi (ETH Zurich – Switzerland), Scott Whattam (King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals), Dapeng Zhao (Tohoku University – Japan), and Hao Hu (Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power – China.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
First Signs of a 'Ghost' Plume Reshaping Earth Detected Beneath Oman
Scientists believe they've discovered a 'ghost' plume for the first time. Rising from Earth's core beneath Oman, the unusually elusive column of hot rock shows no surface volcanic activity, unlike typical plumes. With or without visible disruption on the surface, mantle plumes are thought to play a crucial role in the interplay of heat, pressure, and movement all the way down to the center of the planet. Understanding ghost plumes and where they're located can help scientists learn more in areas like plate tectonics, the evolution of life, and Earth's magnetic field. "This study presents interdisciplinary evidence for the existence of a 'ghost' plume beneath eastern Oman – the Dani plume," writes the international team of researchers in their published paper. The first clue came from seismic data: waves slowed down as they passed through the region, suggesting hotter, softer rock below. Computer modeling and further measurements from the field added to the evidence for a ghost plume, including seismic discontinuities: important geological boundary layers 410 kilometers (255 miles) and 660 kilometers (410 miles) deep, respectively. According to the collected data, the plume is likely to be around 200–300 kilometers in diameter and as much as 100–300 °C (212–540 °F) hotter than the surrounding mantle. It's a relatively small, focused patch of rock. The models suggest the plume may have been around for a very long time, influencing the movement of the Indian tectonic plate some 40 million years ago. The phenomena could still be helping to elevate land in Oman today, the researchers say. "While individual results alone may appear inconclusive, their collective contribution provides a consistent and robust interpretation," writes the team. If this is indeed a ghost plume, the chances are high that there are others around the world, waiting to be discovered. That has implications for the models and calculations experts use to understand geological evolution. The more common plumes that we know about, with volcanic activity attached, emanate from the core mantle boundary. This boundary is some 2,890 kilometers below the surface, and is the point at which hot material leaks out from Earth's core. The findings also suggest that more heat may be leaking from the core than previously estimated, potentially requiring further studies to map out the impact of this over the long term. "An augmented core-mantle-boundary heat flux bears implications for thermal evolution models of our planet, and potential revisions to account for the distribution of heat-producing elements, including those sequestered in the lower mantle and in the core," write the researchers. The research has been published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Great White Sharks Were Scared From Their Habitat by Just 2 Predators Solid Rock Caught Flowing 1,700 Miles Beneath Surface in Experimental First Hundreds of Mysterious Giant Viruses Discovered Lurking in The Ocean
India Today
18-06-2025
- Science
- India Today
Earth's hidden engine: Ghost plume found beneath Oman may explain India's drift
In what could first-of-its-kind discovery, researchers have found a ghost plume slowly under Oman, rising quietly for plumes are columns of very hot rock that rise from deep inside the Earth, starting near the boundary between the core and the mantle, about 2,890 kilometres plumes are responsible for many of the volcanic tracks that extend across Earth's surface. They play a fundamental role in the evolution of our planet through:The interplay between mantle convection, plate tectonics and surface processesThe initiation of seafloor spreading and early Earth subductionGlobal mass extinction eventsSetting the genesis of large nickel, platinum and diamond depositsadvertisementAs these plumes move upward and reach the Earth's outer layer (the lithosphere), the pressure drops and causes melting, which leads to volcanoes on the in the case of the newly discovered plume, it hasn't led to any surface movements so a new study, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, researchers detail the first clear example of a "ghost" plume — one that exists but doesn't cause surface volcanoes—under eastern call it the Dani plume. Even though there are no signs of volcanic activity above it today, the plume was detected using earthquake data from a dense network of sensors in the region. They also found evidence of heat deep underground by studying changes in specific layers of the Earth's noted that the area above the plume has been rising slowly since about 40 million years ago, even though it shows no signs of volcanic analysing how Earth's plates moved in the past, the researchers concluded that the Dani plume likely arrived during the late Eocene period and even influenced how the Indian plate Indian Plate is a major tectonic plate that includes India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan, as well as parts of the Indian Ocean discovery not only shows how we can find hidden plumes beneath continents but also suggests that the Earth's deep heat flow may be stronger than scientists previously could change our understanding of how Earth's interior and core have evolved over time.
Forbes
11-06-2025
- Science
- Forbes
What Did Megalodon Really Eat? Probably Everything.
Lead study author Jeremy McCormack of Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, holds up a fossilized ... More megalodon tooth. For decades, the giant prehistoric shark known ominously as 'The Meg" has been portrayed as a massive apex predator that hunted the only formidable opponent in the oceans at the time: whales. But new research suggests the reality was more nuanced — and a lot more interesting. In a study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, scientists used advanced geochemical techniques to analyze fossilized tooth enamel and found evidence that indicate this now-extinct behemoth likely had a more varied and opportunistic diet, feeding on whatever was available in its environment to satisfy its immense appetite The key to figuring out this mystery lay in the isotopes of zinc preserved in its teeth, which serve as chemical fingerprints of what an animal ate during its life. Researchers led by Dr. Jeremy McCormack at Goethe University in Germany analyzed 209 fossil teeth from 21 different species (both marine and terrestrial) dating back to the early Miocene period, roughly 20 to 16 million years ago. The fossils were collected from sites in what is now southern Germany, specifically a shallow seaway that once connected the ancient seas known as the Upper Marine Molasse. By focusing on a specific time and place, the team were able to compare Megalodon's diet with that of other sharks, dolphins and marine animals living at the same time. What makes this research stand out is its use of zinc isotope ratios (specifically δ⁶⁶Zn) as a tool for estimating an animal's trophic position, or its level in the food web. While nitrogen isotopes (δ¹⁵N) have traditionally been used to track trophic levels, they can degrade over time, especially in fossils millions of years old. Zinc isotopes, on the other hand, are much more stable and are now emerging as a reliable alternative. The higher an animal is in the food chain, the lower its δ⁶⁶Zn values tend to be, because heavier zinc isotopes are preferentially retained in tissues lower down the food chain, while top predators, which eat those animals, end up with lighter zinc signatures. In this study, Megalodon teeth consistently showed some of the lowest δ⁶⁶Zn values across the entire fossil dataset, placing them at the very top of the marine food web. The researchers also looked at the extinct Carcharodon hastalis, which is a possible ancestor of the modern great white shark, and found its δ⁶⁶Zn values were slightly higher. This suggests it fed at a slightly lower trophic level or had a different diet, supporting what many paleontologists have long suspected — that Megalodon was a top predator, likely preying on large marine mammals such as whales and dolphins. Finally, the scientists analyzed modern marine species, including sharks and dolphins, to create a baseline for comparison. They found that even today, top predators like killer whales have similarly low δ⁶⁶Zn values, further supporting the idea that zinc isotopes accurately reflect trophic level. McCormack works at the mass spectrometer, which is used to determine the zinc isotope ratio. This ... More ratio provides information about the diet of Otodus megalodon. Paleontologists have long suspected that Megalodon was a top predator based on its massive size, tooth morphology, and fossil evidence showing bite marks on whale bones. What this study does is go a step further by providing chemical evidence that directly links Megalodon to a high trophic level, rather than relying only on anatomical or circumstantial evidence. See, scientists face major challenges when trying to reconstruct what a creature like Megalodon actually ate. Sharks have skeletons made mostly of cartilage, which doesn't fossilize well, so researchers often rely on teeth. While bite marks on fossilized whale bones have been strong evidence of marine mammal being part of the Meg's meals, bites on other sharks leave less obvious traces, making dietary conclusions based only on physical bite evidence tricky and potentially misleading. This new chemical analysis helps fill in those gaps. By creating a kind of prehistoric food web, the researchers placed animals like sea bream (which eat mussels and crustaceans) at the bottom, followed by smaller sharks and extinct toothed whales the size of modern dolphins. Megalodon still sat near the top, as expected, but its zinc isotope levels weren't wildly different from those just below it in the chain, suggesting that those species may have ended up on the menu too. While the conclusion itself (big shark ate big animals) isn't groundbreaking on its own, the method is what's novel and important. This is the first time zinc isotopes have been used in this way for extinct marine predators, and the fact that the values line up with what we see in modern apex predators opens the door to re-examining other ancient species' diets and food web roles with greater precision. Still, it seems that ancient ecosystems are not so different from today's. Apex predators existed, food webs were complex, and adaptability was key to survival. Megalodon may have ruled the oceans, but not alone… and not without competition.
NDTV
30-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Mystery Behind Antarctica Mountain Range Hidden For 500 Million Years Solved
Scientists have solved the mystery behind the mountain range buried under ice in East Antarctica for the last 500 million years. The mysterious and ancient Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains are similar in shape and scale to the Alps, but not visible due to being trapped beneath kilometres of ice. First discovered by a Soviet expedition using seismic techniques in 1958, the Gamburtsev Mountains are buried beneath the highest point of the East Antarctic ice sheet. While most mountain ranges are eventually worn down by erosion or tectonic events, the Gamburtsev Mountains are preserved by a deep layer of ice, making it one of the best-preserved mountain belts on Earth. Mountains are formed by the collision of two tectonic plates and continue to change over time. The Himalayas are the biggest example after the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate collided 50 million years ago. This range is rising even today, but Antarctica has been stable all this time, prompting the scientists to look for the secret behind it. According to a study published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, the mountain range first came into existence 500 million years ago when the Gondwana supercontinent formed from colliding tectonic plates. "The collision triggered the flow of hot, partly molten rock deep beneath the mountains," the authors wrote. "As the mountains continued to take shape, the crust thickened and heated, before becoming unstable and collapsing under their own weight." Other forces led the mountains to partially collapse as well. To further ascertain their hypothesis, the researchers turned to zircon, a mineral that acts like a geological stopwatch. These tiny crystals can survive for billions of years and contain uranium, which decays at a known rate, allowing scientists to determine their age with precision. These grains recorded peak mountain-building around 580 million years ago and the start of structural collapse by 500 million years ago. While gathering rock samples from the mountain remains difficult due to the logistics of drilling through the ice, the model developed by scientists offers new predictions about future exploration.
