Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Deep within Earth's mantle, massive "islands" larger than continents hold ancient secrets.
Seismologists use earthquake tones to uncover Earth's hidden layers and detect anomalies.
Colossal structures under Africa and the Pacific are over 500 million years old.
Credit: Mingming Li/ASU
Dr. Arwen Deuss from Utrecht University explains how seismic waves reveal these regions' nature.
Credit: Utrecht University
These islands are surrounded by a graveyard of subducted tectonic plates, reshaping Earth's dynamics.
Known as Large Low Seismic Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs), these rigid structures resist mantle flow.
Scientists link LLSVP edges to mantle plumes, fueling volcanic hotspots like Hawaii.
Data from deep earthquakes, like Bolivia’s in 1994, reveals the astonishing features of Earth's interior.
LLSVPs drive Earth's volcanic and tectonic systems, shaping mountains and crustal evolution.