New research may explain Indian Ocean 100m gravity dip
There's a weird spot in the Indian Ocean where gravity is so weak, the sea level dips over 100 meters lower than you'd expect.
For years, no one really knew why. It stumped scientists since its discovery by satellites decades ago.
Now, new research has possibly explained it.
Rising mantle material under Africa identified
Turns out, the Indian Ocean geoid low is caused by hot, low-density material rising from deep inside Earth's mantle.
This stuff moves east from under Africa thanks to shifting tectonic plates.
Over millions of years, it created an area with less mass—so gravity is weaker and the ocean surface drops.
Scientists ran simulations covering more than 100 million years
Scientists ran computer simulations covering more than 100 million years of Earth's insides and found only certain scenarios could possibly explain this odd spot.
Their findings suggest a possible explanation for this long-standing puzzle.