The remnants of an ancient ocean could be causing a 'gravity hole' in the Indian Ocean

Globe showing Indian Ocean.
(Image credit: eclipse_images / Getty Images)

A so-called "gravity hole" in the Indian Ocean, where the gravitational pull is weaker than other places on Earth, could be the result of magma plumes from deep within the planet, scientists recently discovered, according to findings published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Researchers were previously unsure as to why the phenomenon existed.

"The Earth is basically a lumpy potato" and not a sphere, study coauthor Attreyee Ghosh told CNN. Therefore, gravity is distributed unevenly around the planet. "If you pour water on the surface of the Earth, the level that the water takes is called a geoid," determined by density differences under the surface of the Earth. The "gravity hole" in the Indian Ocean is the "biggest low" in the geoid, Ghosh continued.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.