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News From the Field

Scripps Scientists Discover "Lubricant" for Earth's Tectonic Plates


March 20, 2013

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Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, have found a layer of liquefied molten rock in the Earth's mantle that may be acting as a lubricant for the sliding motions of the planet's massive tectonic plates. The discovery may carry far-reaching implications, from solving basic geological functions of the planet to a better understanding of volcanism and earthquakes.Full Story

Source
University of California, San Diego

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