Earth’s gravity is not uniform, and that affects the entire balance of the planet. Today we know a little more about what happens under our feet.
He india gravitational hole measure 5 million square kilometers, and everything indicates that it is very old. Scientists from the Indian Institute of Sciences believe they have discovered its origin.
Of course, it is not a physical hole. A gravitational hole It is an area wheregravity is less. But it’s a huge area 10 times the size of Spainand is located almost 1,000 kilometers deep, under the Indian Ocean.
It is an anomaly in the earth’s crust that is difficult to study, because we cannot go down there.
The origin of India’s gravitational hole
It has the scientific name of Indian Ocean Geoid Low (IOGL)and was discovered by the Dutch geophysicist Felix Andries Vening Meinesz, in 1948, according to reports Scientific American.
“This hole is the ghost of an ancient ocean“; assures the publication, which explains that the sea level in that area is 100 meters lower than it should be.
To solve the mystery, the researchers compared more than a dozen computer models about how the region formed in the last 140 million years as Earth’s tectonic plates shifted. Each model used different variables to simulate the movement of the molten material within the mantle.
The result is that this gravitational hole seems to be caused by plumes of molten rock rising from the depths of Africa at the edges of the sinking remains of an ancient ocean floor.
This lost ocean dates back to 200 million years back in timeand was located between the supercontinents Laurasia and Gondwana. Both India and Africa were part of Gondwana, but were separated by the movement of tectonic plates.
He gravitational holel would have been created a few 20 million years, when plumes of molten rock began to spread through the upper mantle. And it will hesitate as long as the magma continues to flow in that area. Possibly for millions of years.
He Indian Ocean gravitational hole seems to have an origin as old as the continents. Fortunately, it is very deep and does not significantly affect us humans.
