New study reveals hot rock blob under New England: Implications for Appalachian Mountains
Shreeaa Rathi | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Aug 01, 2025, 21:23 IST
( Image credit : TIL Creatives )
In an exciting revelation, scientists have unearthed a colossal hot rock formation lurking beneath New England, dubbed a 'mantle wave.' This groundbreaking discovery upends long-held geological theories and could shed light on the ongoing rise of the Appalachian Mountains. Seismic imaging has unveiled a slow-moving hot zone stretching an impressive 200 miles wide and 125 miles deep.
A new study reveals a large, hot rock blob moving deep under New England. University of Southampton researchers discovered this "mantle wave." It's part of a chain reaction from tectonic events 90 million years ago. This discovery challenges previous understandings of the geologically stable eastern U.S. It may explain the rising Appalachian Mountains.
Scientists used seismic tomography to scan the Earth. This is like a CT scan. They found a huge, slow-moving blob of hot material under New Hampshire. Usually, these anomalies are near volcanoes or tectonic boundaries. But New England has neither.
The hot zone is called the Northern Appalachian Anomaly (NAA). It is 200 miles wide. It sits 125 miles beneath the surface.
Tom Gernon, a professor, said the "mantle wave" is not a literal wave. It is a flow of mantle material that acts like a wave.
The NAA might be a "Rayleigh–Taylor instability." This is when heavy, cold rock sinks into hot, soft rock. It's like molasses dripping into honey. This forces hotter material to rise.
Scientists believe the "drip" started near the Labrador Sea. This is where North America began splitting from Europe 120 million years ago. The continents split and fractured rock layers. This triggered blobs of rock to drip downward.
Gernon explained that as the continent splits, space opens up. Soft asthenosphere fills that space. The asthenosphere is a semi-molten part of Earth's upper mantle. This movement disturbs the continent's root. Blobs of the root begin to drip downward. It's like falling dominoes.
These "drips" move slowly. They move about 20 kilometers every million years. This matches the NAA's location and age.
Another anomaly, the Central Appalachian Anomaly (CAA), may be an earlier drip. It dates back 135 million years. Together, these anomalies form a "mantle wave." It's a hidden disturbance deep inside the Earth.
The NAA could explain the uplift of the Appalachian Mountains. Earlier instabilities may have reshaped the landscape millions of years ago. More "drips" might exist. But there is limited seismic data in northern areas.
Scientists used seismic tomography to scan the Earth. This is like a CT scan. They found a huge, slow-moving blob of hot material under New Hampshire. Usually, these anomalies are near volcanoes or tectonic boundaries. But New England has neither.
The hot zone is called the Northern Appalachian Anomaly (NAA). It is 200 miles wide. It sits 125 miles beneath the surface.
Tom Gernon, a professor, said the "mantle wave" is not a literal wave. It is a flow of mantle material that acts like a wave.
The NAA might be a "Rayleigh–Taylor instability." This is when heavy, cold rock sinks into hot, soft rock. It's like molasses dripping into honey. This forces hotter material to rise.
Scientists believe the "drip" started near the Labrador Sea. This is where North America began splitting from Europe 120 million years ago. The continents split and fractured rock layers. This triggered blobs of rock to drip downward.
Gernon explained that as the continent splits, space opens up. Soft asthenosphere fills that space. The asthenosphere is a semi-molten part of Earth's upper mantle. This movement disturbs the continent's root. Blobs of the root begin to drip downward. It's like falling dominoes.
These "drips" move slowly. They move about 20 kilometers every million years. This matches the NAA's location and age.
Another anomaly, the Central Appalachian Anomaly (CAA), may be an earlier drip. It dates back 135 million years. Together, these anomalies form a "mantle wave." It's a hidden disturbance deep inside the Earth.
The NAA could explain the uplift of the Appalachian Mountains. Earlier instabilities may have reshaped the landscape millions of years ago. More "drips" might exist. But there is limited seismic data in northern areas.