• Scientists just mapped mysterious earthquakes deep inside Earth Researchers at Stanford University have produced the first worldwide map of an unusual type of earthquake that occurs deep in Earth’s mantle rather than in the crust. • The mantle lies between the planet’s thin outer crust and its molten core. • By charting these rare events, scientists hope to better understand how mantle earthquakes work and what they can reveal about how all earthquakes begin. • The findings, published Feb. • 5 inScience, show that continental mantle earthquakes happen across the globe but tend to cluster in specific regions. • Significant groupings appear beneath the Himalayas in southern Asia and near the Bering Strait between Asia and North America, south of the Arctic Circle.
Article Summaries:
- Scientists at Stanford University have released the first global map of rare mantle earthquakes-seismic events that originate deep within Earth’s mantle rather than its crust. Using a new method that distinguishes subtle differences in seismic waveforms, researchers identified hundreds of these quakes worldwide, with notable clusters beneath the Himalayas and the Bering Strait. Published in Science on Feb. 5, the study provides a clearer picture of where continental mantle earthquakes occur and offers insights into the mechanisms that trigger deep‑earth seismicity, potentially informing our understanding of more common shallow earthquakes.
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