Mysterious gravity anomaly under Atlantic linked to mineral shift
NASA's GRACE satellites picked up a massive gravity anomaly under the eastern Atlantic between 2006 and 2008—stretching over 7,000km and reaching almost 2,900km down into Earth's mantle.
Researchers Charlotte Gaugne Gouranton and Isabelle Panet shared these findings in August 2025.
Mineral shift likely causes this gravity blip
Turns out, this gravity blip is likely from a mineral shift—where bridgmanite (perovskite) turns into post-perovskite—making rocks denser in that region and shaking up how mass is spread deep below.
Interestingly, this all lined up with a sudden magnetic field change near Africa in 2007, hinting that big shifts underground can mess with Earth's magnetism.
Research team is now digging into satellite data
This discovery helps scientists see how deep-Earth changes affect our planet's magnetic shield—the thing that protects us from solar radiation.
The team is now digging into newer satellite data to catch more of these hidden shifts, showing just how much we still have to learn about what's happening beneath our feet.