For decades, a mysterious series of earthquakes has rocked the Pacific, although the source has remained a mystery. Now, researchers believe they may have found a new layer of tectonic plates within the Earth’s mantle that could explain the quakes. While the results are preliminary, if they are verified, they could help scientists to reconstruct the layout of the Earth’s surface millions of years ago.
Previous studies have shown that as continents move over the surface of the planet, they tear ocean floors apart, with magma from the mantle filling the gap. And as tectonic plates meet, the oceanic plates are driven down into the mantle, in a process known as subduction. According to The Guardian, researchers from the University of Houston have presented early evidence of plate tectonics within the mantle. READ MORE
