Experts Baffled by Mysterious Structures Under the Pacific That Shouldn’t Exist

Lost civilizations hidden from modern eyes: From Atlantis to El Dorado and Avalon, the Earth's surface is scattered with fabled lands that met catastrophic ends.

Researchers claim there may be truth to the myth of a submerged world beneath the Pacific Ocean, according to a recently published study.

A team of researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has discovered large underwater formations deep in the Pacific Ocean that appear to defy explanation.

This enigmatic substance – producing unusual seismic wave movements in the area – may potentially be a remnant of a now-lost terrain dating back hundreds of millions of years.

According to current scientific theories, the anomalous substance in the lower mantle, approximately 965 kilometers beneath the Earth's surface, 'should not be located' there.

Said to be a 'major mystery', the study reveals that the data contradicts 'our current understanding of the Earth's operation', researchers comment.

These research results indicate a more varied range of sources for these anomalous regions within Earth's lower mantle.

The issue is that nothing can be seen inside the Earth, and it's not possible to drill deep enough to collect rock samples from the Earth's mantle.

Instead, scientists study the velocities of seismic waves – the vibrations generated by earthquakes and explosions – as they pass through the planet's interior.

Seismographic stations capture these waves and, based on these recordings, experts are able to infer information about the Earth's structure and composition.

"This is very similar to how doctors use ultrasound to image internal body parts such as organs, muscles, or veins without needing to undergo surgery," ETH Zurich said.

It is widely acknowledged that the Earth's lithosphere, its outermost solid layer consisting of the upper portion of the mantle and the crust, is comprised of approximately 15 tectonic plates.

Seismic activity can be detected at the boundaries of the tectonic plates, where they collide with each other.

However, in the distant past, the large plates have since sunk into Earth's mantle due to the process of 'subduction.'

(Note: I've kept the original word "interior" and "internal" to maintain consistency, but I understand that "internal" might be more fitting in this context. If you'd like, I can change it to "internal" for you!)

No one can see directly into the Earth, nor can we dig deep enough to collect rock samples from the Earth's mantle, which is located between the Earth's core and crust.

Scientists who study the Earth's crust and interior often rely on indirect methods to gain insights into the processes occurring beneath our feet.

For example, they use seismograms - or earthquake recordings - to determine the speed at which earthquake waves are transmitted.

They then use this information to calculate the inside structure of the Earth - similar to how doctors use ultrasound to get a look inside the body.

This is the geologic process where one plate's edge is pushed beneath another's edge – and eventually, the whole plate can be destroyed.

In the past, seismologists have mapped the position of submerged tectonic plates within the Earth's mantle, primarily under subduction zones.

In a recent study, researchers at ETH Zurich and Caltech employed a computational method called "full-waveform inversion," which generates a three-dimensional image of the Earth using seismic wave data.

They have located areas beneath the Pacific Ocean that appear to be remnants of submerged tectonic plates, but these areas are not near plate boundaries and show no signs of having ever been subjected to subduction.

The Pacific plate is considered one single vast tectonic plate: therefore, there shouldn't be any material located underneath it that is capable of subduction.

It appears the anomalies are not a result of lost subducted plates. However, what the matter actually represents - or its significance to Earth's internal dynamics – remains a mystery to be solved.

"It's like a doctor who has been examining blood circulation with ultrasound for decades and finds arteries exactly where he expects them," said co-author Professor Andreas Fichtner, a seismologist at ETH Zurich.

'He initially didn't notice it, but with the advanced tool, he detected an artery in the buttock that was unusual. That's exactly our perception of the new information.'

However, the researchers also point out a few possible explanations behind the anomalies, but they would require additional data on waves beyond just their speed to make any definitive conclusions.

This material could be ancient, rich in silica and present since the formation of the mantle approximately four billion years ago.

Alternatively, they could be areas where iron-rich rocks accumulate as the result of mantle movements occurring over billions of years.

"The researchers attribute positive wave speed anomalies in Earth's lower mantle to various other potential factors, not limited to the presence of subducted slabs," their study notes.

'Our findings emphasize the significant significance of full waveform inversion as an essential resource in the pursuit of studying the mantle.'