Jakarta –
For years scientists have been confused about the origin of this gravity hole in the Indian Ocean. Recently, however, they have identified the mysterious hole with several conjectures of origin.
A gravity hole in the Indian Ocean is a place where the Earth’s gravitational pull is weaker, its mass is lower than usual, and sea level drops by more than 328 feet (100 meters).
This anomaly has long puzzled geologists, but now researchers from the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, India, have found what they believe is a credible explanation for its formation.
According to researchers, the cause of the appearance of the gravitational pull is due to magma erupting from deep within the planet, such as that which leads to the creation of volcanoes.
Meanwhile, planet Earth is not actually perfectly round, but includes clumps and mounds. Both have varied geology and densities that attract nearby masses.
The level of attractive force of the masses is also different and is manifested in a wavy map known as a geoid.
Discovery of the Gravity Hole in the Indian Ocean
Launch page Space, a deep gravitational hole in the Indian Ocean also referred to as the lower geoid of the Indian Ocean (IOGL). It is a 1.2 million square mile (3 million square kilometer) depression found 746 miles (1,200 kilometers) southwest of India.
Compared to its surroundings, low gravity is so weak that a layer of water has been ripped away, leaving sea levels above the hole 348 feet (106 meters) lower than the global average.
This anomaly was discovered by the Dutch geophysicist Felix Andries Vening Meinesz in 1948, during a gravity survey from a ship. Even though it’s been a long time, this hole is still a mystery to scientists.
Now, a study published May 5 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters suggests IOGL is caused by low-density magma being pushed into the Indian Ocean by ancient, sinking oceanic plates.
“The origin of this low geoid is very confusing. Various theories have been proposed to explain this negative geoid anomaly. All of these studies looked at the current anomaly and were not concerned with how this low geoid appeared,” the researchers wrote in their study.
Research with 19 Computer Models
To search for potential answers to the mysterious hole’s formation, the researchers used 19 computer models that simulated the movement of mantle and plate tectonics in the region over 140 million years.
They then compared the simulated lows formed in each test to the real-life holes.
The six models that best simulate lower geoids actually have one feature in common: low-density hot magma clumps that rise to displace higher-density material below lower ones, reducing the region’s mass and weakening its gravity.
This plume is a mantle rock outburst that originates from a disturbance 600 miles (1,000 km) west under Africa. Known as the “African plume”, the dense bubble of crystallized material in the African mantle is the size of a continent and 100 times taller than Mount Everest.
How Do Gravity Holes Arise?
Researchers think that the emergence of gravitational holes can be traced to the “Tethyan plate” or seafloor remnants of the ancient Tethys ocean, which existed between the supercontinents Laurasia and Gondwana more than 200 million years ago.
According to researchers, after the Indian plate broke away from Gondwana to collide with the Eurasian plate, it passed through the Tethys plate, then pushed it under the Indian plate.
As it was pushed into the mantle near modern-day East Africa, the shattered pieces of the ancient Tethys Ocean slowly began to sink deeper into the lower mantle.
Finally, about 20 million years ago, the sinking Tethyan plate replaced some of the magma trapped in the African plume to form the blob.
“These flakes, together with the mantle structures around the lower geoid, are responsible for the formation of this negative geoid anomaly,” the researchers wrote.
To confirm the predictions of the researchers, scientists have the work to reveal the presence of bursts using earthquake data collected from around the low geoid.
Was the torrent the true answer, or was a deeper force to blame. This needs to be done by scientists together.
Watch Video “Chinese Scientists Find Key Evidence of Nanohertz Gravitational Waves”
(faz/nwk)
2023-08-03 12:00:00
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