Unraveling Earth's Deep Secrets: The Moon's Formation and the Mystery of the Mantle
An international research team, led by Prof. Deng Hongping of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, recently made a groundbreaking discovery regarding Earth's internal structure and the formation of the moon. Their research, published in Nature, challenges the existing theories about the moon's formation.
The prevailing theory suggested that the moon formed from debris created by a massive collision between Earth (Gaia) and a proto-planet called Theia approximately 4.5 billion years ago. However, high-precision isotope measurements revealed that the compositions of Earth and the moon are remarkably similar, contrary to expectations based on this theory.
Prof. Deng developed a new computational fluid dynamics method called Meshless Finite Mass (MFM) to simulate the giant impact accurately. His research showed that after the collision, the early Earth exhibited mantle stratification, with the upper mantle forming a magma ocean containing a mix of Gaian and Theian material, while the lower mantle remained solid and retained Gaian material. This stratification may persist today, corresponding to global seismic reflectors in the mid-mantle.
Additionally, the study explored Large Low Velocity Provinces (LLVPs) in the Earth's mantle, mysterious regions with reduced seismic wave velocity. Collaborating with Dr. Yuan Qian from the California Institute of Technology, the team proposed that LLVPs could have originated from Theian material entering Gaia's lower mantle during the giant impact. Through simulations and analysis, they found that approximately 2% of Earth's mass consisted of Theian mantle material, which sank to the bottom of the mantle, forming stable LLVPs over 4.5 billion years.
The research suggests that Earth's interior is heterogeneous, with deep-seated variations influencing geological processes. These findings have implications for understanding Earth's initial state, the formation of nearby planets, and even provide insights into the formation and habitability of exoplanets beyond our solar system.
#EarthScience #MoonFormation #PlanetaryScience #ScientificDiscovery #GiantImpact #DeepEarthAnomaly #InterdisciplinaryResearch #ComputationalFluidDynamics #MantleStratification #SeismicReflectors #LLVPs #ExoplanetFormation #NatureJournal #ScientificBreakthrough
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