Earthquakes Don’t Just Break the Crust, 459 Were Found Deep in the Mantle

Earthquakes Don’t Just Break the Crust, 459 Were Found Deep in the Mantle

Learn how seismic waves helped identify rare mantle earthquakes deep below Earth’s crust, offering new insight into the planet’s interior.

Global map catalogs 459 rare continental mantle earthquakes since 1990

Stanford researchers have created the first-ever global map of a rare earthquake type that occurs not in Earth's crust but in our planet's mantle, the layer sandwiched between the thin crust and Earth's molten core. The new map will help scientists learn more about the mechanics of mantle earthquakes, in turn opening a window into the complexities and triggers for all earthquakes.