Extraterrestrial Blobs Rich in Iron Went Under Africa and Pacific Ocean Billions of Years Ago, New Theory Says

Billions of years ago, iron-rich extraterrestrial blobs were embedded into the Earth in a collision and are presently under modern-day Africa and the Pacific Ocean.

Extraterrestrial Blobs Under Africa and the Pacific Ocean

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology have suggested that the planet that collided with Earth billions of years ago might still be within the planet, contributing to the formation of the Moon. This theory emerged from the analysis of dense material discovered in the 1980s under Africa and the Pacific Ocean, displaying unique seismic behavior.

These large low-velocity provinces (LLVPs) contain high iron levels and are believed to be remnants of the ancient collision, dating back 4.5 billion years.

Professor Paul Asimow, a geology expert at CIT, emphasized the significance of investigating LLVPs' impact on Earth's early evolution. This includes understanding their role in the emergence of subduction, the formation of continents, and the origin of the oldest surviving terrestrial minerals, shedding light on our planet's ancient history.

LLVP, Large Low-Velocity Provinces

LLVPs, or large low-velocity provinces, were initially discovered through seismic wave analysis in the Earth's deep mantle. In the 1980s, seismic waves revealed three-dimensional variations in Earth's structure, particularly near the core. These regions, believed to have high iron content, are denser than their surroundings, causing seismic waves to slow down, hence the name "large low-velocity provinces."

The connection between LLVPs and the Moon's formation arose during a 2019 seminar led by Professor Mikhail Zolotov from Arizona State University.

Qian Yuan, an O.K. Earl Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate under Paul Asimow's supervision, observed that the Moon is iron-rich, and Zolotov mentioned the missing Earth impactor in a lecture that Yuan attended. '

Yuan had a "eureka moment," theorizing that the iron-rich impactor could have evolved into the mantle blobs we now know as LLVPs. This discovery potentially links Earth's history with the formation of the Moon, highlighting the ongoing mysteries of our planet's past.

Theia and the Earth Billions of Years Ago

The material within LLVPs offers vital insights not only into plate tectonics but also into the Moon's formation and the fate of Theia, a smaller celestial body. The giant-impact theory posits that Theia, once orbiting the sun, collided with Earth due to gravitational forces from other planets. The clustering of Theia's remnants around Earth's mantle remains a mystery, prompting future research.

Although no trace of Theia has been found in nearby asteroids or meteorites, some scientists suggest that debris from the collision might exist either near Earth's core or beneath the Moon's surface, approximately 238,855 miles away.

Through collaborative efforts, Yuan and a multidisciplinary team modeled various scenarios for Theia's composition and its Earth impact. Their simulations demonstrated that the collision's dynamics could have led to the formation of both the Moon and the LLVPs. The energy transfer during the impact left Earth's lower mantle cooler, preserving the integrity of the iron-rich material from Theia, which eventually aggregated into the distinct LLVPs, much like unmixed colors in a lava lamp. Had the lower mantle been hotter, the material would have mixed more thoroughly, like blended paints. This research sheds light on the puzzling clustering of Theia's remnants around Earth's mantle.