Scientists stumble upon mystery structures scattering seismic waves deep in the Earth

In recent months, scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery regarding the Earth's mantle, the layer located between its core and crust. Research has uncovered that there are structures scattered throughout this mantle that significantly slow down seismic waves generated by earthquakes. Although ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs) were known to exist near volcanic hotspots, this new finding suggests that such features may be widespread, extending beyond previously understood areas such as under North America, North Africa, East Asia, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Northwest. This intriguing revelation emerged while researchers were conducting a separate analysis aiming to understand how PKP waves, which are produced by large seismic events, travel through the Earth's core. Within this context, scientists also examined precursor PKP waves and their patterns. Their findings highlighted the presence of a substantial ULVZ beneath the western Pacific, along with indications of several more ULVZs scattered throughout various global locations. Michael Thorne, a geologist and geophysicist from the University of Utah, emphasized that these findings represent some of the most extreme features observed inside the Earth and raised essential questions regarding their origins and roles. The newly identified structures are baffling scientists, as much remains unknown about their composition and functionality within the Earth's lithosphere. Their active generation suggests that understanding these ULVZs can greatly enhance geologists' comprehension of volcanic hotspots and how these regions of the mantle behave. As scientific inquiry continues, the results could lead to significant advancements in the field of geophysics and may reshape existing theories about Earth's internal processes. This discovery is critical not only for further scientific exploration but also for its potential implications in the fields of geology and volcanology. As researchers delve deeper into the mystery of these structures and their impacts, they aim to unlock secrets about Earth's behavior underneath the surface, which has until now proven to be an elusive subject of study.