Geologists discover mysterious subduction zone beneath Pacific, reshaping understanding of Earth’s interior

Phys.org  September 28, 2024 The Pacific large low-shear-velocity province (LLSVP) hosts multiple internal anomalies, including a notable gap between the central and eastern Pacific. The cause of the structural gap remains unconstrained. An international team of researchers (USA – University of Maryland, Canada) used a dense set of SS precursors (seismic waves) identify an anomalously thick mantle transition zone east of the East Pacific Rise directly above this structural gap. The area of the thickened transition zone exhibited faster-than-average velocities according to recent tomographic images, suggesting perturbed post olivine phase boundaries shifting in response to lowered temperatures. The researchers attributed […]