Scientists from Arizona State University have discovered mountains deep within the Earth that are three to four times taller than Mount Everest. Using seismology centers in Antarctica, the researchers identified these massive mountains, called ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs), located approximately 2,900 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface in the boundary between the core and mantle.
These underground mountain ranges remained unnoticed until now because they were incredibly mysterious and went undetected by experts. It was only through seismic data generated by earthquakes and atomic explosions that scientists were able to spot them.
The researchers estimate that these mountain ranges reach heights of over 24 miles (38 kilometers), while Mount Everest, which is the tallest mountain on Earth’s surface, is only about 5.5 miles (8.8 kilometers) high.
By analyzing thousands of seismic recordings from Antarctica, the scientists used a high-definition imaging method to identify these thin anomalous zones of material at the core-mantle boundary. This discovery sheds new light on the complex structure of the Earth’s deep interior.
