For the first time, researchers have discovered traces of what is known as a ghost mantle plume — a hot stream of rock rising from the Earth’s interior. This plume was discovered beneath the eastern part of Oman, and unlike typical volcanic plumes, it has no surface activity.
The article about the discovery was published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
“This study provides compelling evidence for the existence of a ghost plume beneath Oman — the Dani plume,” claims an international team of geologists.
Researchers first detected signs of the anomaly in seismic data. Waves passing through the region slowed down, which, according to scientists, may indicate the presence of hotter and softer rock deep underground.
After that, using computer modeling and additional measurements, the researchers obtained preliminary confirmation of the existence of the plume. In particular, they recorded seismic ruptures in the deep layers of the Earth’s mantle at depths of 410 and 660 km. This indicates that the plume is a real natural phenomenon, rather than a random anomaly.
According to researchers’ estimates, the plume has a diameter of 200–300 km. It is 100–300 degrees hotter than the surrounding environment. It is believed that the plume has existed for tens of millions of years and even influenced the movement of the Indian tectonic plate in the past. Now, however, its action is probably causing a slow rise in the Earth’s surface in Oman.
“Although each result may not be particularly convincing individually, together they form a coherent picture,” say the scientists.
If the discovery is confirmed, it could mean that similar trails exist in other regions of the planet, remaining unnoticed until now. This opens up new opportunities for research in geology, plate tectonics, and even the evolution of the Earth’s magnetic field.
In addition, the results indicate that more heat than previously thought may be transferred from the Earth’s core to its surface. This might lead to a rethink of scientific models that describe the planet’s internal dynamics.
