Researchers from the University of Houston have identified a phenomenon that could redefine the understanding of terrestrial movement. It is an underground “river of rocks”, a stream of hot and dense material that flows through the Earth’s mantle at astonishing speeds.
This discovery, published in Nature Communications, reveals that the flow has not only shaped the geography of Central America and the Caribbean for millions of years, but it could also challenge traditional ideas about plate tectonics.
Origin and effects of the “hot rock river”
The study shows that this phenomenon originated 8 million years ago, when an opening in Central America allowed hot mantle material to escape from the Pacific to the Caribbean. This underground flow caused:
- Raising of the seafloor by up to 300 meters, tilting the region towards the northeast, towards the Lesser Antilles.
- Shaping of the geography, contributing to the formation of land bridges such as the Central American isthmus.
- Possible influence on the existence of parts of the Caribbean, as without this flow, some areas could have remained below sea level.
The study was based on data obtained from changes in gravitational attraction, detected via satellite, and on mantle tomography images, which allowed visualizing the movement of this current.
Implications for tectonic dynamics
One of the most surprising findings is that the asthenosphere, the semi-liquid layer of the mantle where tectonic plates move, moves at a speed three times faster than the average plates, reaching 15 centimeters per year.
This speed not only drags the plates, but also influences their direction of movement, which could change the way key geological processes are interpreted, such as:
- Continent formation and evolution of the relief.
- Volcanic activity in the Caribbean region.
- Frequency and behavior of earthquakes in Central America.
A new paradigm for regional geology
This discovery offers a new perspective on the internal dynamism of the planet. By challenging the conventional theory of plate tectonics, it suggests that terrestrial movement depends not only on the interaction between plates but also on the internal mantle currents, which could play a much more active role than previously thought.
If future research confirms these findings, the geology of America and the Caribbean could be reinterpreted, impacting models for studying seismic activity, geographic evolution, and terrain stability in the region.
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