Everest is no longer the highest: scientists have found "giants" surpassing it by 100 times

Scientists have discovered gigantic structures in the Earth's interior, so massive that Mount Everest looks insignificant in comparison.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to Daily Galaxy, a new study published in the journal Nature, indicates the existence of two enormous underground formations rising from the core-mantle boundary deep within the planet. Their height reaches approximately 1000 kilometers - almost a hundred times larger than Everest, and they are located beneath Africa and the central part of the Pacific Ocean.

These structures cannot be called mountains in the conventional sense, as they do not consist of ordinary rock. However, in terms of scale, they are the largest known internal formations of Earth.

Researchers note that this discovery fundamentally changes our understanding of the planet's internal "relief" and opens new possibilities for studying its evolution. It is believed that these dense regions have existed for billions of years, preserving chemical traces of ancient Earth and influencing volcanism, tectonic processes, and mantle convection.

How the research was conducted

Scientists from Utrecht University used an innovative method of seismic analysis. They studied vibrations passing through the planet after powerful earthquakes to understand how seismic energy changes and attenuates as it penetrates deep into the Earth. This allowed them to create, for the first time, a three-dimensional map of energy behavior inside the mantle.

As a result, specialists discovered regions under Africa and the Pacific Ocean characterized by low shear wave velocity and low attenuation. This combination of features indicates the presence of huge anomalous areas - provinces with low shear wave velocity (LLSVP).

According to the authors, these are not mountain formations, but thermochemical structures rising from the core-mantle boundary and influencing flows in the mantle. Each of them can reach up to 5000 km in width, and their height is so significant that, if they were on the surface, the concept of "high" would have to be redefined. The QS4L3 model became the first to describe attenuation properties in the depths of Earth on a global scale.

"Buried" plates of ancient Earth

The origin of LLSVPs remains one of the most intriguing questions. According to the leading hypothesis, confirmed by new data, these structures represent remnants of ancient tectonic plates that sank into the mantle through the process of subduction billions of years ago and accumulated at its base, forming peculiar "plate graveyards."

Due to their unusual chemical composition and high density, such areas barely mix with the rest of the mantle, making them some of the most stable formations inside Earth.

Scientists emphasize: the combination of low attenuation and low shear wave velocity indicates that these structures have high density, temperature, and unique composition. Their location above the core makes them a likely source of mantle plumes - hot flows of matter causing the appearance of volcanic "hot spots" such as Hawaii, Reunion, and Iceland. Their size and shape can influence global mantle currents that determine plate movement and continental breakup.

"Anchor" of the mantle affecting the planet's surface

The new seismic model not only visualizes these areas - it allows, for the first time, to separately assess the role of temperature and composition on a global scale. This provides an opportunity to take a fresh look at the forces shaping Earth's surface.

Researchers believe that LLSVPs may act as a kind of "mantle anchors" that maintain their position for hundreds of millions of years and direct convection flows. Due to such stability, they play an important role in the cycles of supercontinent formation and destruction, expanding existing concepts of plate tectonics.

While earlier models relied mainly on seismic wave velocity, the new attenuation analysis method helps understand how effectively energy propagates in the mantle, revealing its thermal and chemical features. It was confirmed that areas with minimal attenuation precisely coincide with LLSVPs, indicating their chemical nature rather than just elevated temperature.

According to the study's conclusions, most of the mantle is constantly mixing, but LLSVPs remain isolated, serving as repositories of ancient material and a potential source of volatile substances that can influence climate and biological processes on Earth's surface.