In the beginning there existed our planet Earth along with the Moon and a protoplanet called Theia that has long since disappeared. Without Theias presence it would have been highly unlikely for life as we know it today to exist. The Moon, which is believed by many to be the result of a collision between Theia and a young Earth probably wouldn't have come into being. Evidence of this event is thought to be hidden deep within our planet buried more than 2,500 kilometers below its surface where remnants of Theia have silently resided for about 4.5 billion years.
The Potential Existence of Theia in Earths Core
A hypothesis has recently been put forth by an international team of scientists. They suggest that fragments of Theia might actually be present within our planet itself. This theory emerged from analysis of seismic data and proposes the existence of two peculiar features known as "blobs" found in the lower mantle near Earths core. These "blobs" stand out from the rest of the mantle. Have sparked curiosity and further investigation.
Delving Deeper; Insights, from Research
A study published in Nature provides additional evidence supporting the notion that these continent sized "blobs" could indeed be remnants of Theia. What makes this more intriguing is that these masses exhibit a lower seismic velocity compared to the surrounding mantle causing seismic waves to travel through them at a slower pace.
This particular trait has the potential to uncover the connection between Theia and the formation of the Moon.
Researchers, including Dr. Qian Yuan from the California Institute of Technology and Professor Hongping Deng from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory propose that after the impact Theias mantle might have merged with the mantle of proto Earth. This denser material could hold insights into how both Earth and Moon were formed.
Simulations provide a glimpse into what happened during the collision between Earth and Theia revealing outcomes. This catastrophic event would have caused Earths upper mantle to melt, allowing a significant portion of Theia to sink deeper towards Earths core.
This theory represents a step forward in our understanding of how the Moon originated and highlights Theias role, in its formation.
However more research needs to be done to confirm whether the masses found near the core of Earth are actually remnants of the celestial body called Theia. It will be crucial to examine a number of lunar mantle rock samples in order to pursue this investigation.
Looking ahead there are promising possibilities for obtaining samples. Planned future lunar missions, by space agencies could help in collecting mantle rocks, which preserve the Moons historical story. Analyzing these rocks could provide insights to either support or challenge the theory that remnants of Theia exist within Earths depths.
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