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High Resolution Imaging Reveals Puzzling Features Deep in Earth's Interior - SciTechDaily

High Resolution Imaging Reveals Puzzling Features Deep in Earth's Interior - SciTechDaily

High Resolution Imaging Reveals Puzzling Features Deep in Earth's Interior - SciTechDaily
May 21, 2022 3 mins, 0 secs

New research led by the University of Cambridge is the first to obtain a detailed ‘image’ of an unusual pocket of rock at the boundary layer with Earth’s core, some three thousand kilometers beneath the surface..

The mysterious area of rock, which is located almost directly beneath the Hawaiian Islands, is one of several ultra-low velocity zones – so-called because earthquake waves slow to a crawl as they pass through them..

The research, published on May 19, 2022, in the journal Nature Communications, is the first to reveal the complex internal variability of one of these pockets in detail, shedding light on the landscape of Earth’s deep interior and the processes operating within it..

“Of all Earth’s deep interior features, these are the most fascinating and complex.” — Zhi Li.

“Of all Earth’s deep interior features, these are the most fascinating and complex. We’ve now got the first solid evidence to show their internal structure — it’s a real milestone in deep earth seismology,” said lead author Zhi Li, PhD student at Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences..

Scientists use seismic waves from earthquakes to ‘see’ beneath Earth’s surface — the echoes and shadows of these waves reveal radar-like images of deep interior topography. But, until recently, ‘images’ of the structures at the core-mantle boundary, an area of key interest for studying our planet’s internal heat flow, have been grainy and difficult to interpret..

Events and Sdiff ray paths used in this study. A) Cross-section slicing the center of Hawaiian ultra-low velocity zone, showing ray paths of Sdiff waves at 96°, 100°, 110°, and 120° for 1D Earth model PREM.

The origin of hotspot volcanoes has been debated, but the most popular theory suggests that plume-like structures bring hot mantle material all the way from the core-mantle boundary to the surface.

With images of the ultra-low velocity zone beneath Hawaii now in hand, the team can also gather rare physical evidence from what is likely the root of the plume feeding Hawaii.

Their observation of dense, iron-rich rock beneath Hawaii would support surface observations.

More of the core-mantle boundary now needs to be imaged to understand if all surface hotspots have a pocket of dense material at the base.

The team’s observations add to a growing body of evidence that Earth’s deep interior is just as variable as its surface.

Eventually, they hope to map the geological landscape across the core-mantle boundary and understand its relationship with the dynamics and evolutionary history of our planet.

The graph of slopes from seismological P-waves showing their path of travel through the Earth’s interior should be concave with the actual path closely following the perimeter of the Earth.

The curvature is close enough to prevent the path of travel from descending very deep into the Earth’s interior, and also close enough to prevent the path of travel from ascending to where it would disappear.

The image in the article shows the P-wave path of travel as being convex.

As a P-wave descends into the interior, the closer to the surface of the Earth, mass through which the wave travels results in the wave traveling fastest.

The slope of that line tilts forward causing a concave path of travel from the point of origin, from the epicenter.

The article should give you a better understanding of the affects of the interior of the Earth upon the path of travel of a P-wave.

I’m inclined to believe the reason scientists have this so wrong is that a correct interpretation of P-wave travel though the interior of the Earth proves the Earth is ‘hollow’.

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