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science8h ago
Scientists Explain That This Region Of Africa Has A Heartbeat, And What That Means For Its Future
- Scientists report heartbeat-like pulses in the Afar mantle, linked to the region's tectonic Rift activity.
- Researchers say pulses are channeled by rifting plates, affecting how surface features evolve over time.
- Faster-spreading regions like the Red Sea show more regular pulse transmission in the mantle.
- The study suggests mantle pulses may foreshadow the development of a future ocean basin in the Afar region.
- Lead author Emma Watts notes the mantle's nonuniformity and its chemical signature in pulses.
- The research examined 130 volcanic rock samples to detect chemical striping from mantle pulses.
- University of Southampton researchers collaborated with Swansea University on mantle pulse studies.
- The Afar region sits at the junction of three major tectonic rifts: Main Ethiopian Rift, Red Sea Rift, and Gulf of Aden Rift.
- The findings offer new insight into how interior processes shape surface geology in a biodiverse and fossil-rich region.
- The team published their conclusions in a Nature Geoscience paper detailing mantle pulse behavior.
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