Deep under the Pacific Ocean and even deeper under the Earth’s crust, researchers have just discovered what some are describing as a mysterious and ancient megastructure. It was discovered using seismic data, and it might be responsible for the ever-changing and quickly spreading East Pacific Rise, an ocean ridge at the bottom of our planet’s largest body of water.
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00:00Deep under the Pacific Ocean and even deeper under the Earth's crust, researchers have
00:08just discovered what some are describing as a mysterious and ancient megastructure.
00:13It was found using seismic data, with the researchers saying they have found what might
00:17be responsible for the ever-changing and quickly spreading East Pacific Rise, an ocean ridge
00:22at the bottom of our planet's largest body of water.
00:25The researchers say that seismic data gathered from the area revealed that under the crust
00:29there is a massive blob of mantle that is moving much slower than the rest.
00:33They say this is manifesting on the ocean floor where the Nazca tectonic plate is currently
00:37subducting down into the mantle.
00:39However, the other side of the plate is lifting, building an ocean ridge which is not only
00:43a hotspot for geological activity, but also creating a structural gap between the central
00:48and eastern Pacific regions.
00:50However, the discovery doesn't end there.
00:52They also add that the whole process is happening slower than expected, all due to a 250 million
00:58year old fossilized portion of seafloor being cooler than the rest.
01:01With the researchers noting, our discovery opens up new questions about how the deep
01:06earth influences what we see on the surface across vast distances and timescales.