Massive Hot Blob Beneath US Is Slowly Moving Toward New York City, Study Finds
The blob is slowly moving southwestward at a pace of about 12 miles per million years and is expected to reach New York in approximately 10 to 15 million years.
"This thermal upwelling has long been a puzzling feature of North American geology," Tom Gernon, who is the study's lead author, Professor of Earth Science at the University of Southampton, said in a statement.
Researchers believe the NAA formed around 80 million years ago when Greenland and North America began to separate. This challenges the previous theory that it was a leftover from when North America broke away from Africa 180 million years ago.
"Our research suggests it's part of a much larger, slow-moving process deep underground that could potentially help explain why mountain ranges like the Appalachians are still standing," Gernon said.
"Heat at the base of a continent can weaken and remove part of its dense root, making the continent lighter and more buoyant, like a hot air balloon rising after dropping its ballast. This would have caused the ancient mountains to be further uplifted over the past few million years."
The blob's heat may have contributed to the uplift of the Appalachian Mountains, keeping them relatively high despite erosion over millions of years. According to the scientists, the crust beneath the Appalachians will likely settle, causing the mountains to lose some elevation.
"Our earlier research shows that these drips of rock can form in series, like domino stones when they fall one after the other, and sequentially migrate over time," said Sascha Brune, from the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Germany.
"The feature we see beneath New England is very likely one of these drips, which originated far from where it now sits."
This discovery would help researchers explore the deep processes that shape Earth's geology and also highlight the enduring effects of ancient geological events, like continental breakups, on the planet's surface.
Scientists used a combination of direct geological observations, plate tectonics, geodynamics and computer simulations to study the NAA.
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A massive, slow-moving "hot blob" of rock located beneath the Appalachian Mountains is gradually making its way toward New York City, scientists revealed in a new study published in the journal Geology . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The phenomenon, officially known as the Northern Appalachian Anomaly (NAA), lies about 125 miles beneath the mountains and stretches approximately 220 miles across the New England region. According to researchers, the NAA is drifting southwestward at a rate of nearly 12 miles per million years. At this pace, the geological structure is expected to reach the vicinity of New York in roughly 10 to 15 million years. 'This thermal upwelling has long been a puzzling feature of North American geology,' said Tom Gernon, the study's lead author and Professor of Earth Science at the University of Southampton. The study suggests that the anomaly likely formed around 80 million years ago during the separation of Greenland and North America. This finding revises the earlier theory which linked the formation to the breakup of North America and Africa nearly 180 million years ago. 'Our research suggests it's part of a much larger, slow-moving process deep underground that could potentially help explain why mountain ranges like the Appalachians are still standing,' Gernon said. Scientists believe that heat from the blob has played a role in elevating the Appalachian Mountains, helping them retain height despite extensive erosion over time. The crust beneath the mountains is expected to gradually settle, leading to a possible reduction in elevation in the distant future. 'Heat at the base of a continent can weaken and remove part of its dense root, making the continent lighter and more buoyant, like a hot air balloon rising after dropping its ballast. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This would have caused the ancient mountains to be further uplifted over the past few million years,' Gernon explained. Sascha Brune of the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Germany noted that these types of geological features may not be isolated. 'Our earlier research shows that these drips of rock can form in series, like domino stones when they fall one after the other, and sequentially migrate over time,' Brune said. 'The feature we see beneath New England is very likely one of these drips, which originated far from where it now sits.' The study relied on a combination of geological observations, plate tectonic models, geodynamic theory, and advanced computer simulations to examine the behaviour and origin of the NAA. Researchers said the findings could provide new insights into the deep processes shaping Earth's geology and highlight the long-lasting impact of ancient continental shifts.
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Scientists have said that a massive, "hot blob" of rock beneath the Appalachian Mountains is slowly moving toward New York City. According to a new study published in the journal Geology, the blob is located approximately 125 miles beneath the mountains, spanning 220 miles across New England. It's officially called the Northern Appalachian Anomaly (NAA). The blob is slowly moving southwestward at a pace of about 12 miles per million years and is expected to reach New York in approximately 10 to 15 million years. "This thermal upwelling has long been a puzzling feature of North American geology," Tom Gernon, who is the study's lead author, Professor of Earth Science at the University of Southampton, said in a statement. Researchers believe the NAA formed around 80 million years ago when Greenland and North America began to separate. This challenges the previous theory that it was a leftover from when North America broke away from Africa 180 million years ago. "Our research suggests it's part of a much larger, slow-moving process deep underground that could potentially help explain why mountain ranges like the Appalachians are still standing," Gernon said. "Heat at the base of a continent can weaken and remove part of its dense root, making the continent lighter and more buoyant, like a hot air balloon rising after dropping its ballast. This would have caused the ancient mountains to be further uplifted over the past few million years." The blob's heat may have contributed to the uplift of the Appalachian Mountains, keeping them relatively high despite erosion over millions of years. According to the scientists, the crust beneath the Appalachians will likely settle, causing the mountains to lose some elevation. "Our earlier research shows that these drips of rock can form in series, like domino stones when they fall one after the other, and sequentially migrate over time," said Sascha Brune, from the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Germany. "The feature we see beneath New England is very likely one of these drips, which originated far from where it now sits." This discovery would help researchers explore the deep processes that shape Earth's geology and also highlight the enduring effects of ancient geological events, like continental breakups, on the planet's surface. Scientists used a combination of direct geological observations, plate tectonics, geodynamics and computer simulations to study the NAA.
