Intriguing discoveries beneath the Earth s surface have revealed what might be remnants of an ancient planet named Theia. This fascinating finding suggests a significant event billions of years ago.
Researchers believe Theia collided with Earth, leading to the creation of the Moon. Evidence of this collision is found in two massive structures beneath Africa and the Pacific Ocean.
These structures, known as large low-velocity provinces (LLVPs), were discovered in the 1980s and are the size of entire continents, roughly twice the size of the Moon.
LLVPs are notable for their high iron content, which causes seismic waves to pass through them more slowly, capturing the interest of the scientific community.
A study published in 2023 by Caltech researchers in the journal Nature provides new insights into these LLVPs, suggesting they are the remains of Theia.
Seismic images of Earth's interior have shown these two continent-sized anomalies with low seismic velocities in the lowermost mantle, reinforcing the theory of their extraterrestrial origin.
The study argues that these structures are compositionally distinct from the surrounding mantle, indicating they could be remnants of Theia's mantle material.
The researchers' simulations show that a portion of Theia's mantle was delivered to Earth's solid lower mantle following the Moon-forming giant impact, preserving the ancient planet's material within our planet.