Strange clumps in the bowels of the earth create new tectonic plates

JAKARTA – The devastating impact of an impacting Mars-sized object Earth about 4.5 billion years ago had tremendous impacts, ranging from harmless to catastrophic.

Recent research suggests that the impact likely drove the movement of our planet’s fractured, rocky crust.

The Theia impact, as it is called, was also previously thought to have thrown fused debris onto the Moon and seeded Earth with elements essential for life.

However, its role in creating tectonic plates, chunks of Earth’s crust that float on Earth’s muddy mantle, remains uncertain.

Just last year scientists detected evidence of what they more confidently suspect to be remains of Theia on Earth that are similar to remains of Theia on the Moon.

This new research, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, uses computer simulations to model Theia’s impact and its consequences on Earth.

As reported by Science Alert, scientists found that the impact likely created a large lump of hot and dense material in the Earth’s mantle.

These plumes, called “plumes,” then rise to the surface, pushing against the crust and creating new tectonic plates.

This research provides further evidence that Theia played an important role in the early development of the Earth. The impact not only created the Moon, but also likely helped form the planets we live on today.