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Despite having been studied from every possible point of view and angle, the Earth will remain a mystery to most people. Studies of its structure are incomplete, especially after the appearance of what are known as Large Low-Velocity Provinces (LLVP), two giant structures hidden beneath the Earth's mantle.
Their size is similar to that of an entire continent. In fact, one is just below Africa and the other in the Pacific Ocean. Recent studies have disproved that both structures are the same in both origin and shape. Their differences are greater than their similarities. Researchers from Cardiff, Oxford, Bristol and Michigan universities agree that they also have different chemical compositions.
What are LLVPs and why did they form in the Earth's mantle?
Other scientists suggest that these regions could be related to processes such as mantle convection or hotspot volcanism. The African LLVP is older and composed of longer-lived material. The Pacific LLVP has 50% more subducted oceanic crust, so it is younger
Dr. Paula Koelemeijer, from the University of Oxford, points out that some of their similarities also help to understand their composition: "The fact that these two LLVPs differ in composition, but not in temperature, is key to the story and explains why they appear to be seismically the same. It is also fascinating to observe the links between plate movements on the Earth's surface and structures 3,000 km deep within our planet."
Although their work is not limited to knowing the materials that make up the LLVPs, their goal now is more generalized: "We need to look for data that can constrain the proposed asymmetry in density, for example, by using observations of Earth's gravitational field."