Overview

• The international team analyzed over 130 volcanic rock samples from the Afar region and Main Ethiopian Rift to probe the mantle’s structure
• They identified rhythmic pulses in the plume marked by repeating chemical bands that form a geological barcode across the rift
• Co-author Tom Gernon reported that plume pulses respond differently depending on plate thickness and the speed at which plates diverge
• Findings demonstrate that evolving mantle upwellings direct volcanic activity and affect earthquake patterns during continental breakup
• Researchers will next measure flow rates and pathways of deep mantle material beneath the tectonic plates