NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle
Artist’s concept of the collision of a celestial body similar to Theia with Earth
A new discovery may confirm the “giant impact” theory for the formation of the Moon. Parts of the planet Theia, whose impact with our planet formed the Moon, may still exist in dense regions in the Earth’s mantle.
A study publishedthis Wednesday, in Nature, suggests that traces of an ancient planet called Theia may be hidden in ground cloak.
If confirmed, this discovery reinforces the theory that a planet the size of Mars, called Theia, collided with Earth 4.5 billion years ago, resulting in debris from the Earth. formed the Moon.
There is a lot that researchers know two anomalous regions in the mantle of Earth: one under Africa and the other under the Pacific Ocean.
Both regions, known as “large low-velocity provinces” (LLVPs), exhibit unique characteristics compared to the rest of the mantle. There, for example, seismic waves pass through them more slowly, which suggests that are denser regions.
Several simulations were carried out to examine the behavior of Theia’s remains after the collision. The conclusion is that Theia’s mantle rocks would have melted and settled on the boundary between the mantle and the core of Earth, eventually grouping into the LLVPs.
Since it was impossible to confirm the theory directly, through excavations (due to the extreme depth), the team relied on chemical signs of hot material emerging of the blocks.
Investigators found trace elements similar to traces they found on the Moon, but uncommon on Earth.
“This giant impact that formed the Moon is perhaps one of the most important factors in explaining why Earth is so different from any other rocky planet we have found. [O impacto] changed the atmosphere, changed the crust, changed the mantle, changed the core”, said the leader of the investigation, Qian Yuancited by New Scientist.
2023-11-01 23:30:50
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