Latest news with #EarthandPlanetaryScienceLetters
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
First Signs of a 'Ghost' Plume Reshaping Earth Detected Beneath Oman
Scientists believe they've discovered a 'ghost' plume for the first time. Rising from Earth's core beneath Oman, the unusually elusive column of hot rock shows no surface volcanic activity, unlike typical plumes. With or without visible disruption on the surface, mantle plumes are thought to play a crucial role in the interplay of heat, pressure, and movement all the way down to the center of the planet. Understanding ghost plumes and where they're located can help scientists learn more in areas like plate tectonics, the evolution of life, and Earth's magnetic field. "This study presents interdisciplinary evidence for the existence of a 'ghost' plume beneath eastern Oman – the Dani plume," writes the international team of researchers in their published paper. The first clue came from seismic data: waves slowed down as they passed through the region, suggesting hotter, softer rock below. Computer modeling and further measurements from the field added to the evidence for a ghost plume, including seismic discontinuities: important geological boundary layers 410 kilometers (255 miles) and 660 kilometers (410 miles) deep, respectively. According to the collected data, the plume is likely to be around 200–300 kilometers in diameter and as much as 100–300 °C (212–540 °F) hotter than the surrounding mantle. It's a relatively small, focused patch of rock. The models suggest the plume may have been around for a very long time, influencing the movement of the Indian tectonic plate some 40 million years ago. The phenomena could still be helping to elevate land in Oman today, the researchers say. "While individual results alone may appear inconclusive, their collective contribution provides a consistent and robust interpretation," writes the team. If this is indeed a ghost plume, the chances are high that there are others around the world, waiting to be discovered. That has implications for the models and calculations experts use to understand geological evolution. The more common plumes that we know about, with volcanic activity attached, emanate from the core mantle boundary. This boundary is some 2,890 kilometers below the surface, and is the point at which hot material leaks out from Earth's core. The findings also suggest that more heat may be leaking from the core than previously estimated, potentially requiring further studies to map out the impact of this over the long term. "An augmented core-mantle-boundary heat flux bears implications for thermal evolution models of our planet, and potential revisions to account for the distribution of heat-producing elements, including those sequestered in the lower mantle and in the core," write the researchers. The research has been published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Great White Sharks Were Scared From Their Habitat by Just 2 Predators Solid Rock Caught Flowing 1,700 Miles Beneath Surface in Experimental First Hundreds of Mysterious Giant Viruses Discovered Lurking in The Ocean
India Today
4 days ago
- Science
- India Today
Earth's hidden engine: Ghost plume found beneath Oman may explain India's drift
In what could first-of-its-kind discovery, researchers have found a ghost plume slowly under Oman, rising quietly for plumes are columns of very hot rock that rise from deep inside the Earth, starting near the boundary between the core and the mantle, about 2,890 kilometres plumes are responsible for many of the volcanic tracks that extend across Earth's surface. They play a fundamental role in the evolution of our planet through:The interplay between mantle convection, plate tectonics and surface processesThe initiation of seafloor spreading and early Earth subductionGlobal mass extinction eventsSetting the genesis of large nickel, platinum and diamond depositsadvertisementAs these plumes move upward and reach the Earth's outer layer (the lithosphere), the pressure drops and causes melting, which leads to volcanoes on the in the case of the newly discovered plume, it hasn't led to any surface movements so a new study, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, researchers detail the first clear example of a "ghost" plume — one that exists but doesn't cause surface volcanoes—under eastern call it the Dani plume. Even though there are no signs of volcanic activity above it today, the plume was detected using earthquake data from a dense network of sensors in the region. They also found evidence of heat deep underground by studying changes in specific layers of the Earth's noted that the area above the plume has been rising slowly since about 40 million years ago, even though it shows no signs of volcanic analysing how Earth's plates moved in the past, the researchers concluded that the Dani plume likely arrived during the late Eocene period and even influenced how the Indian plate Indian Plate is a major tectonic plate that includes India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan, as well as parts of the Indian Ocean discovery not only shows how we can find hidden plumes beneath continents but also suggests that the Earth's deep heat flow may be stronger than scientists previously could change our understanding of how Earth's interior and core have evolved over time.
Forbes
11-06-2025
- Science
- Forbes
What Did Megalodon Really Eat? Probably Everything.
Lead study author Jeremy McCormack of Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, holds up a fossilized ... More megalodon tooth. For decades, the giant prehistoric shark known ominously as 'The Meg" has been portrayed as a massive apex predator that hunted the only formidable opponent in the oceans at the time: whales. But new research suggests the reality was more nuanced — and a lot more interesting. In a study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, scientists used advanced geochemical techniques to analyze fossilized tooth enamel and found evidence that indicate this now-extinct behemoth likely had a more varied and opportunistic diet, feeding on whatever was available in its environment to satisfy its immense appetite The key to figuring out this mystery lay in the isotopes of zinc preserved in its teeth, which serve as chemical fingerprints of what an animal ate during its life. Researchers led by Dr. Jeremy McCormack at Goethe University in Germany analyzed 209 fossil teeth from 21 different species (both marine and terrestrial) dating back to the early Miocene period, roughly 20 to 16 million years ago. The fossils were collected from sites in what is now southern Germany, specifically a shallow seaway that once connected the ancient seas known as the Upper Marine Molasse. By focusing on a specific time and place, the team were able to compare Megalodon's diet with that of other sharks, dolphins and marine animals living at the same time. What makes this research stand out is its use of zinc isotope ratios (specifically δ⁶⁶Zn) as a tool for estimating an animal's trophic position, or its level in the food web. While nitrogen isotopes (δ¹⁵N) have traditionally been used to track trophic levels, they can degrade over time, especially in fossils millions of years old. Zinc isotopes, on the other hand, are much more stable and are now emerging as a reliable alternative. The higher an animal is in the food chain, the lower its δ⁶⁶Zn values tend to be, because heavier zinc isotopes are preferentially retained in tissues lower down the food chain, while top predators, which eat those animals, end up with lighter zinc signatures. In this study, Megalodon teeth consistently showed some of the lowest δ⁶⁶Zn values across the entire fossil dataset, placing them at the very top of the marine food web. The researchers also looked at the extinct Carcharodon hastalis, which is a possible ancestor of the modern great white shark, and found its δ⁶⁶Zn values were slightly higher. This suggests it fed at a slightly lower trophic level or had a different diet, supporting what many paleontologists have long suspected — that Megalodon was a top predator, likely preying on large marine mammals such as whales and dolphins. Finally, the scientists analyzed modern marine species, including sharks and dolphins, to create a baseline for comparison. They found that even today, top predators like killer whales have similarly low δ⁶⁶Zn values, further supporting the idea that zinc isotopes accurately reflect trophic level. McCormack works at the mass spectrometer, which is used to determine the zinc isotope ratio. This ... More ratio provides information about the diet of Otodus megalodon. Paleontologists have long suspected that Megalodon was a top predator based on its massive size, tooth morphology, and fossil evidence showing bite marks on whale bones. What this study does is go a step further by providing chemical evidence that directly links Megalodon to a high trophic level, rather than relying only on anatomical or circumstantial evidence. See, scientists face major challenges when trying to reconstruct what a creature like Megalodon actually ate. Sharks have skeletons made mostly of cartilage, which doesn't fossilize well, so researchers often rely on teeth. While bite marks on fossilized whale bones have been strong evidence of marine mammal being part of the Meg's meals, bites on other sharks leave less obvious traces, making dietary conclusions based only on physical bite evidence tricky and potentially misleading. This new chemical analysis helps fill in those gaps. By creating a kind of prehistoric food web, the researchers placed animals like sea bream (which eat mussels and crustaceans) at the bottom, followed by smaller sharks and extinct toothed whales the size of modern dolphins. Megalodon still sat near the top, as expected, but its zinc isotope levels weren't wildly different from those just below it in the chain, suggesting that those species may have ended up on the menu too. While the conclusion itself (big shark ate big animals) isn't groundbreaking on its own, the method is what's novel and important. This is the first time zinc isotopes have been used in this way for extinct marine predators, and the fact that the values line up with what we see in modern apex predators opens the door to re-examining other ancient species' diets and food web roles with greater precision. Still, it seems that ancient ecosystems are not so different from today's. Apex predators existed, food webs were complex, and adaptability was key to survival. Megalodon may have ruled the oceans, but not alone… and not without competition.
NDTV
30-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Mystery Behind Antarctica Mountain Range Hidden For 500 Million Years Solved
Scientists have solved the mystery behind the mountain range buried under ice in East Antarctica for the last 500 million years. The mysterious and ancient Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains are similar in shape and scale to the Alps, but not visible due to being trapped beneath kilometres of ice. First discovered by a Soviet expedition using seismic techniques in 1958, the Gamburtsev Mountains are buried beneath the highest point of the East Antarctic ice sheet. While most mountain ranges are eventually worn down by erosion or tectonic events, the Gamburtsev Mountains are preserved by a deep layer of ice, making it one of the best-preserved mountain belts on Earth. Mountains are formed by the collision of two tectonic plates and continue to change over time. The Himalayas are the biggest example after the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate collided 50 million years ago. This range is rising even today, but Antarctica has been stable all this time, prompting the scientists to look for the secret behind it. According to a study published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, the mountain range first came into existence 500 million years ago when the Gondwana supercontinent formed from colliding tectonic plates. "The collision triggered the flow of hot, partly molten rock deep beneath the mountains," the authors wrote. "As the mountains continued to take shape, the crust thickened and heated, before becoming unstable and collapsing under their own weight." Other forces led the mountains to partially collapse as well. To further ascertain their hypothesis, the researchers turned to zircon, a mineral that acts like a geological stopwatch. These tiny crystals can survive for billions of years and contain uranium, which decays at a known rate, allowing scientists to determine their age with precision. These grains recorded peak mountain-building around 580 million years ago and the start of structural collapse by 500 million years ago. While gathering rock samples from the mountain remains difficult due to the logistics of drilling through the ice, the model developed by scientists offers new predictions about future exploration.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Analysis of fossil teeth upends what's known about megalodon's diet, scientists say
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. What scientists understand about the voracious feeding habits of the colossal megalodon could be up for some revision. The prehistoric predator that went extinct about 3.6 million years ago was not hunting only large marine mammals such as whales as researchers widely thought, a new study has found. Instead, minerals in fossilized teeth reveal that megalodon might have been an opportunistic feeder to meet its remarkable 100,000-calorie-per-day requirement. 'When available, it would probably have fed on large prey items, but when not available, it was flexible enough to feed also on smaller animals to fulfill its dietary requirements,' said lead study author Jeremy McCormack, a geoscientist at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. The study, published Monday in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, also showed there were regional differences in the giant shark's feeding habits. The finding suggests megalodon would pursue whatever was in local waters, devouring other top predators and smaller prey alike. 'They were not concentrating on certain prey types, but they must have fed throughout the food web, on many different species,' McCormack said. While certainly this was a fierce apex predator, and no one else would probably prey on an adult megalodon, it's clear that they themselves could potentially feed on almost everything else that swam around.' Megalodon dispatched its prey with a ferocious bite and lethal, serrated teeth that could reach up to 7 inches (18 centimeters) long — the size of a human hand. The superpredator's teeth — abundant in the fossil record — are what McCormack and his colleagues used to conduct a geochemical analysis, unlocking fresh clues that could challenge megalodon's role as sole king of the ancient seas. It's not the first time that a study has challenged previous knowledge about the enormous sea creature. In fact, many questions remain unanswered about Otodus megalodon — its scientific species name meaning 'giant tooth' — since no complete fossil has ever been discovered. The lack of hard evidence stems from the fact that fish skeletons are made of softer cartilage rather than bone, so they don't fossilize very well. Recent research found that the animal was more warm-blooded than other sharks, for example, and there is an ongoing debate about its size and shape. Scientists who created a 3D reconstruction suggested in 2022 that megalodon was about three times as long as a great white shark — about 52 feet (16 meters). However, a March study hypothesized that the megashark was actually much larger — up to 80 feet (24 meters) in length and even longer than the fictional version in the 2018 blockbuster 'The Meg,' which suggested the ancient predator was 75 feet (23 meters) from head to tail. As for megalodon's feeding habits, determining what it ate based on fossil evidence poses challenges, according to McCormack. 'We know that they fed on large marine mammals from tooth bite marks,' he said. 'Of course, you can see bite marks on the bones of marine mammals, but you will not see them if they fed on other sharks, because sharks don't have bones. So there's already a bias in this kind of fossil record.' To glean more about megalodon's prey selection, McCormack and his coauthors looked at the giant shark's fossilized teeth and compared them with those of other animals that lived at the same time, as well as teeth from modern sharks and other predators such as dolphins. The researchers used specimens from museum collections and samples from beached animal carcasses. Specifically, the study team conducted a lab analysis of zinc, a mineral that is acquired only through food. Zinc is essential for living organisms and plays a crucial role in tooth development. The ratio of heavy and light zinc isotopes in the sharks' tooth enamel preserves a record of the kind of animal matter that they ate. Different types, or isotopes, of zinc are absorbed when fish and other animals eat, but one of them — zinc-66 — is stored in tooth enamel much less than another, zinc-64. The ratio between those zinc isotopes widens the further away an animal gets from the lowest level of the food chain. That means that a fish eating other fish would have lower levels of zinc-66 compared with zinc-64, and the fish that eat those fish will have even less zinc-66 compared with zinc-64, creating ratio markers that can help draw up a sequence of the food chain. The researchers found that sea bream, a fish that feeds on mussels and crustaceans, was at the bottom of their reconstructed chain, followed by smaller sharks from the Carcharhinus genus, up to 9.8 feet (3 meters) in length, and extinct toothed whales comparable in size to modern dolphins. Farther up were larger sharks such as the Galeocerdo aduncus, similar to a modern tiger shark, and occupying the top slot was megalodon — but its zinc ratios were not so different as to suggest a massive gap with the lower-tier animals, meaning they might have been part of megalodon's diet, too. 'Based on our new results, we see that it was clear it could feed at the very top, but it was flexible enough to feed also on lower (levels of the food chain),' McCormack said. In addition, the researchers found megalodon was not alone at the top of the food chain but instead shared the spot with other 'opportunistic supercarnivores' such as its close relative Otodus chubutensis and the lesser-known Araloselachus cuspidatus, another giant fish-eating shark. That revelation challenges the assumption that megalodon was the exclusive ruler of the oceans and draws comparisons with the great white shark, another large opportunistic feeder. The finding also reinforces the idea that the rise of the great white may have been a factor in megalodon's extinction, according to paleobiologist Kenshu Shimada, one of the coauthors of the latest study. 'One of the contributing factors for the demise of megalodon has been hypothesized to be the rise of the great white shark, which feeds on fish when young and shifts its diet to marine mammals as it becomes larger,' said Shimada, a professor of biological and environmental sciences at DePaul University in Chicago. 'Our new study, that demonstrates the 'diet overlap' between the great white shark and megalodon, strengthens the idea that the evolution of the smaller, likely more agile and maneuverable great white shark could have indeed (driven) megalodon to extinction.' The new research allows scientists to recreate a snapshot of the marine food web that existed about 20 million years ago, according to Jack Cooper, a UK-based paleobiologist and megalodon expert who wasn't involved with the study. 'The general picture of megalodon has been of a gigantic shark munching on whales,' Cooper said in an email. 'This study adds a new dimension that megalodon probably had a wide range of prey — essentially, it probably ate not just whales but whatever it wanted.' Another interesting find, he added, is that megalodon's diet probably varied slightly between different populations, something observed in today's great white sharks. 'This makes sense and is something we would have probably expected since megalodon lived all over the world and not all of its prey items would have done; but it's wonderful to have concrete data supporting this hypothesis,' Cooper said. The study adds to a growing body of evidence that is reshaping commonly held beliefs about megalodon and its close relatives, said Alberto Collareta, a researcher in the department of Earth sciences at Italy's University of Pisa who was not involved in the research. 'These have led us to abandon traditional reconstruction of the megatooth sharks as 'inflated' versions of the modern white shark. We now know that the Megalodon was something else — in terms of size, shape and ancestry, and of biology, too,' Collareta said via email. 'The Miocene (palaeo)ecosystems in question did not work in a radically different way compared to their modern counterparts — even if they feature … completely extinct protagonists such as the megatooth sharks,' he added, highlighting what he found to be the report's key takeaway. 'That said, it is still useful to acknowledge that our understanding of the Meg is essentially limited to its ubiquitous teeth, a few vertebrae and a handful of scales. What I'd really love to see emerging from 'the foggy ruins of time' is a complete Meg skeleton… Let's hope that the fossil record will amaze us once again.'
