The earth’s interior may hold relics of moon-forming mega impact
- November 8, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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The earth’s interior may hold relics of moon-forming mega impact
Subject: Geography
Section: Physical geography
In the news:
- Seismologists have identified two large blobs in the earth’s mantle, one under Africa and the other under the South Pacific region.
Details:
- These blobs may be remnants from a collision between the early Earth and a Mars-sized object called Theia, believed to have formed the moon over 4.46 billion years ago.
- The impact released molten rock into space, which later coalesced to form the moon. Some fragments of Theia may have sunk into the earth, forming the mantle blobs.
- Computer simulations supported this hypothesis, suggesting that most of Theia became part of the earth, while residual debris formed the moon.
- The blobs are located about 2,900 kilometers below the earth’s surface and account for about 2% of the earth’s mass, with each being twice the mass of the moon.
- If confirmed, these blobs could serve as evidence of the moon-forming collision on Earth.
- The increased density of the blobs is attributed to their high iron content, and future lunar missions may help verify the model.
Significance:
- Understanding the moon-forming impact can provide insights into the evolution of Earth and other rocky planets in our solar system, contributing to our understanding of Earth’s uniqueness as a habitable planet.
Source of this article: The Hindu