Researchers have unearthed pivotal evidence under the Pacific Ocean that could redefine our knowledge of Earth’s formative years.
Led by geophysicist Simon Lamb from the University of Wellington and Cornel de Ronde of GNS Science, a study suggests that fragments of the planet’s primordial history are ensconced within a South African region and deep beneath New Zealand’s seafloor.
Mr. De Ronde’s mapping revealed a fragment of the ancient seafloor in the Barberton Greenstone Belt off South Africa.
“There was, however, something very strange about this seafloor,” the pair wrote this month in The Conversation news site. “And it has taken our study of rocks laid down in New Zealand, at the other end of the Earth’s long history, to make sense of it.”
The Barberton Greenstone Belt is known for its rock formations that have challenged scientists’ understanding of ancient plate tectonics.
Common beliefs pictured early Earth as a hot, molten sphere incapable of supporting rigid tectonic plates or enduring earthquakes. The recent investigation paints a contrasting tableau, with young Earth besieged by significant quakes as tectonic plates engaged in tumultuous activities.
The scientists recognized parallels between the disorderly layers of the ancient Barberton Greenstone Belt and contemporary submarine landslide formations observed in New Zealand.
New Zealand’s underwater landslides occur within the Hikurangi Subduction Zone — notorious for its powerful quakes and composite sedimentary rocks that date back 20 million years.
Aligning this perspective on New Zealand’s seismic bedrock formations with the Barberton Greenstone Belt’s geological features, the researchers deciphered the ancient region’s construction. The belt’s structure could signify remnants of significant landslides with mingled sediment from shallow water and the deep seafloor.
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