Pieces of an ancient planet called Theia may be buried in Earth’s mantle

A new discovery may confirm the “giant collision” theory of the formation of the Moon, as parts of the planet Theia, which formed the Moon when it collided with our planet, may still be present in dense areas in the Earth’s mantle.

study publishedthis Wednesday, in the journal Nature, indicates the existence of traces of an ancient planet called Thea It may be hidden in Earth’s mantle.

If confirmed, this discovery would strengthen the theory that a Mars-sized planet, called Theia, collided with Earth 4.5 billion years ago, creating debris from Earth. The moon formed.

There is a lot that researchers know Two anomalous regions in the mantle Land: One is under Africa and the other is under the Pacific Ocean.

Both regions, known as “large low-velocity provinces” (LLVPs), exhibit unique characteristics compared to the rest of the mantle. There, for example, seismic waves pass through it more slowly, which indicates that These are denser areas.

Several simulations have been performed to examine the behavior of Theia’s remnants after the collision. The conclusion is that Theia’s mantle rocks melted and settled at the boundary Between the mantle and the core from Earth, and were eventually assembled into LLVPs.

Since it was impossible to confirm the theory directly, through excavations (due to the extreme depth), the team relied on chemical markers The appearance of hot materials of blocks.

Investigators found Effect of elements similar To traces they found on the moon, but they are not common on Earth.

“This giant impact that shaped the Moon is perhaps one of the most important factors in explaining why Earth is so different from any other rocky planet we have discovered. [O impacto] “I changed the atmosphere, I changed the crust, I changed the mantle, I changed the core,” the investigation leader said, Qian Yuanaccording to new world.