Latest news with #EmmaWatts
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Pulsing Magma in Earth's Mantle Drives Tectonic Plates Tearing Africa Apart
A spot in eastern Africa called the Afar Triangle marks the meeting point of three rift zones—lines where Earth's crust is being rent apart. Researchers haven't been sure exactly what drives this rifting, but a new study in Nature Geoscience suggests it is caused by rhythmic pulses of molten rock from deep below the surface. Scientists first proposed in the 1970s that a hot upsurge of material from Earth's mantle, known as a plume, was occurring below this spot. Since then researchers have debated whether a single plume, multiple smaller 'plumelets' or something else entirely is pushing the plates apart. Emma Watts, a geochemist at Swansea University in Wales, wanted to settle the question, so she and a team of geophysicists, geochemists and computational scientists put their heads together and came up with a likely answer. 'The more I look into it, the more I see that you've got to have all the pieces of the puzzle to see the big picture,' she says. [Sign up for Today in Science, a free daily newsletter] The team analyzed 130 rock samples from volcanoes in the Afar region. Chemical signatures from each sample helped the scientists piece together the movement of the molten rock below Earth's surface: The researchers calculated the ratios of concentrations of elements such as lead and cerium, which can indicate whether deep mantle material has surged upward, as well as the ratios of different isotopes that each originated from slightly varying reservoirs within the mantle. After comparing their data to computational models of various permutations of mantle plumes, the researchers have found that the best explanation for their observations is a single plume that moves upward in pulses. The pulses appear to exert varying pressure that pushes on each rift zone differently, depending on the way the rift moves and the thickness of the crust on either side. The Afar Triangle's fast-spreading Red Sea Rift has pulses that move farther along the rift zone and that are more frequent than those of the slower-spreading Main Ethiopian Rift in the western part of the triangle. 'The rifting rates are really controlling what we're seeing in the plume,' Watts says. 'What we think is that [the Red Sea Rift is] spreading out faster..., so it has more space to move, and it's being stretched out easier.' The relationship between the mantle movement and the geochemical fingerprints is 'exciting because it suggests geophysics and geochemistry can be married to infer large-scale geodynamic processes,' says Catherine Rychert, a geophysicist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who was not involved in this research. This is one of the first known examples of a dynamic mantle plume that responds to the tectonic plates above, so more research is needed to confirm the finding, Rychert says. Watts hopes this technique could be used in other rift systems and that more data from this system could give researchers a more precise view of what is happening deep below Earth's surface.
Scientific American
07-07-2025
- Science
- Scientific American
Magma Pulses Are Tearing Africa Apart
A spot in eastern Africa called the Afar Triangle marks the meeting point of three rift zones—lines where Earth's crust is being rent apart. Researchers haven't been sure exactly what drives this rifting, but a new study in Nature Geoscience suggests it is caused by rhythmic pulses of molten rock from deep below the surface. Scientists first proposed in the 1970s that a hot upsurge of material from Earth's mantle, known as a plume, was occurring below this spot. Since then researchers have debated whether a single plume, multiple smaller 'plumelets' or something else entirely is pushing the plates apart. Emma Watts, a geochemist at Swansea University in Wales, wanted to settle the question, so she and a team of geophysicists, geochemists and computational scientists put their heads together and came up with a likely answer. 'The more I look into it, the more I see that you've got to have all the pieces of the puzzle to see the big picture,' she says. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. The team analyzed 130 rock samples from volcanoes in the Afar region. Chemical signatures from each sample helped the scientists piece together the movement of the molten rock below Earth's surface: The researchers calculated the ratios of concentrations of elements such as lead and cerium, which can indicate whether deep mantle material has surged upward, as well as the ratios of different isotopes that each originated from slightly varying reservoirs within the mantle. After comparing their data to computational models of various permutations of mantle plumes, the researchers have found that the best explanation for their observations is a single plume that moves upward in pulses. The pulses appear to exert varying pressure that pushes on each rift zone differently, depending on the way the rift moves and the thickness of the crust on either side. The Afar Triangle's fast-spreading Red Sea Rift has pulses that move farther along the rift zone and that are more frequent than those of the slower-spreading Main Ethiopian Rift in the western part of the triangle. 'The rifting rates are really controlling what we're seeing in the plume,' Watts says. 'What we think is that [the Red Sea Rift is] spreading out faster..., so it has more space to move, and it's being stretched out easier.' The relationship between the mantle movement and the geochemical fingerprints is 'exciting because it suggests geophysics and geochemistry can be married to infer large-scale geodynamic processes,' says Catherine Rychert, a geophysicist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who was not involved in this research. This is one of the first known examples of a dynamic mantle plume that responds to the tectonic plates above, so more research is needed to confirm the finding, Rychert says. Watts hopes this technique could be used in other rift systems and that more data from this system could give researchers a more precise view of what is happening deep below Earth's surface.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A newly forming ocean may split Africa apart, scientists say
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A plume of molten rock deep beneath eastern Africa is pulsing upward in rhythmic surges, slowly splitting the continent apart and potentially marking the birth of a new ocean. At least, that's what a team of researchers led by Emma Watts of the Swansea University in the U.K. recently discovered. More specifically, the scientists' new study found that the Afar region of Ethiopia is underlain by a plume of hot mantle that rises and falls in a repeated pattern, almost like "a beating heart." These pulses, the team says, are closely tied to overlying tectonic plates and play a key role in the slow rifting of the African continent. "We found that the mantle beneath Afar is not uniform or stationary — it pulses, and these pulses carry distinct chemical signatures," Watts said in a statement. "That's important for how we think about the interaction between Earth's interior and its surface." The Afar region, which covers the northeastern region of Ethiopia, is one of the few places on Earth where three tectonic rift systems meet — the Red Sea Rift, the Gulf of Aden Rift and the Main Ethiopian Rift. As the tectonic plates in this so-called "triple junction" are pulled apart over millions of years, the crust stretches, thins, and eventually breaks, signaling an early step in the formation of a new ocean basin. Geologists have long suspected that a plume of hot mantle lies beneath this region and helps drive the rifting process — but, until now, little was known about how that plume behaves. To study what lies beneath, researchers collected over 100 volcanic rock samples from across Afar and the Main Ethiopian Rift. They combined this fieldwork with existing geophysical data and advanced statistical modeling to better understand the structure and composition of the crust and underlying mantle. Their analysis revealed a single, asymmetric plume beneath the region, marked by repeating chemical patterns or "geological barcodes," according to the new study." The chemical striping suggests the plume is pulsing," study co-author Tom Gernon of the University of Southampton said in the statement. "In places where the plates are thinner or pulling apart faster, like the Red Sea Rift, those pulses move more efficiently — like blood through a narrow artery." "We found that the evolution of deep mantle upwellings is intimately tied to the motion of the plates above," study co-author Derek Keir of the University of Southampton added in the same statement. RELATED STORIES — Do other planets have plate tectonics? — How satellites have revolutionized the study of volcanoes — Meteorites and volcanoes may have helped jump-start life on Earth "This has profound implications for how we interpret surface volcanism, earthquake activity, and the process of continental breakup." The team's study was published on June 25 in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Earth's Hidden Heartbeat Is Slowly Creating A New Ocean
Deep beneath the surface of Africa, something extraordinary is happening: The Earth's mantle beneath Ethiopia is pulsing like a slow, steady heartbeat. This underground rhythm, though invisible to us, is causing a dramatic geological transformation. It is slowly tearing Africa apart and laying the groundwork for a new ocean. This process is unfolding in the Afar Triangle region of Ethiopia, where the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian tectonic plates meet. This area is part of the East African Rift, a vast crack in the Earth's surface that has been forming for millions of years and pulling those plates away from one another. However, recent research revealed something even more dynamic. Waves of molten rock are rising from deep within the Earth's mantle in periodic, pulsing surges. These pulses are called mantle upwellings. Each pulse pushes magma upward in bursts, weakening the crust above it, resulting in volcanic eruptions and seismic activity. It is impossible to study the exact place where the plates all diverge from each other, but researchers can examine surface volcanic rocks from the Afar region. After looking at samples from 130 young volcanoes in the area, they combined chemical analysis with geological data and modeling. This showed them that the upwelling is not a uniform plume. 'We found that the mantle beneath Afar is not uniform or stationary -- it pulses," explained lead author Emma Watts. As the molten rock from deep within the Earth rises, it pushes the African tectonic plates away from one another. This process will take millions of years, but when the pulses eventually cleave apart the continent, a new ocean basin will form. While this transformation is unfolding on a geologic time scale -- far too slowly to witness during a human lifetime -- it gives scientists a rare chance to study how continents break apart.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Earth's Hidden Heartbeat Is Slowly Creating A New Ocean
Deep beneath the surface of Africa, something extraordinary is happening: The Earth's mantle beneath Ethiopia is pulsing like a slow, steady heartbeat. This underground rhythm, though invisible to us, is causing a dramatic geological transformation. It is slowly tearing Africa apart and laying the groundwork for a new ocean. This process is unfolding in the Afar Triangle region of Ethiopia, where the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian tectonic plates meet. This area is part of the East African Rift, a vast crack in the Earth's surface that has been forming for millions of years and pulling those plates away from one another. However, recent research revealed something even more dynamic. Waves of molten rock are rising from deep within the Earth's mantle in periodic, pulsing surges. These pulses are called mantle upwellings. Each pulse pushes magma upward in bursts, weakening the crust above it, resulting in volcanic eruptions and seismic activity. It is impossible to study the exact place where the plates all diverge from each other, but researchers can examine surface volcanic rocks from the Afar region. After looking at samples from 130 young volcanoes in the area, they combined chemical analysis with geological data and modeling. This showed them that the upwelling is not a uniform plume. 'We found that the mantle beneath Afar is not uniform or stationary -- it pulses," explained lead author Emma Watts. As the molten rock from deep within the Earth rises, it pushes the African tectonic plates away from one another. This process will take millions of years, but when the pulses eventually cleave apart the continent, a new ocean basin will form. While this transformation is unfolding on a geologic time scale -- far too slowly to witness during a human lifetime -- it gives scientists a rare chance to study how continents break apart.
