The remnants of an ancient ocean could be causing a 'gravity hole' in the Indian Ocean
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.
In order to explain the anomaly, researchers used computer models to study plate tectonics and determine how the region formed historically. They found that the gravity discrepancy goes back to the "separation of Gondwana, the supercontinent at the origin of Africa, Australia and India," Insider explained. "As India separated from Africa and smashed into the European plate, the ocean that used to be there, called Tethys, was split apart and squished between the continental plates." The shifting of the continents over time eliminated the Tethys Ocean, and the oceanic plate began to sink deeper into the Earth, causing lower gravity. The movement has also slowly melted the Earth's mantle, releasing plumes of magma, similar to how volcanoes form.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As of now, researchers are not certain whether the gravity hole will remain or whether it will disappear in the future. Further research is also required to confirm the existence of the plumes, Himangshu Paul, a scientist at the National Geophysical Research Institute in India, told New Scientist.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
'New arrivals are more than paying for themselves'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
6 stylish homes in Portland, Oregon
Feature Featuring a wall of windows in Collins View and a historic ballroom in Portland Heights
By The Week US Published
-
What's next for US interest rates?
The Explainer Stubborn inflation forestalls anticipated rate cuts
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Orangutan heals cut with medicinal plant
Speed Read A Sumatran orangutan in Indonesia has been self-medicating to heal a wound on his cheek
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Blind people will listen to next week's total eclipse
Speed Read While they can't see the event, they can hear it with a device that translates the sky's brightness into music
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The hot controversy surrounding solar geoengineering
under the radar Solar geoengineering is feeling the burn
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Citizen science says anyone can be a scientist
The explainer Yes, even you. The practice is being increasingly accepted by researchers as a way to gather data.
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
What is the Anthropocene — and more importantly, when?
Under The Radar Just because a panel of scientists has rejected calls to classify a new global epoch does not mean it hasn't already begun
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
An amphibian that produces milk?
speed read Caecilians, worm-like amphibians that live underground, produce a milk-like substance for their hatchlings
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jupiter's Europa has less oxygen than hoped
speed read Scientists say this makes it less likely that Jupiter's moon harbors life
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published