sinking

Earth

Sink or Swimming: The fate of a sinking structural plate depends on the history of ancient structures

Structural settings and seismic networks used in this study. Credit: Nature (2025). doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08754-0 Newly published studies have revealed that anomalies in compositional rocks in marine plates caused by ancient tectonics affect plate trajectories and velocity as they plunge deep into the Earth’s mantle. Between 410-660km of depth is the Mantle Transition Zone (MTZ), a key area that acts as a…