Overview

• Researchers detected the plume, dubbed Dani, by observing slowed seismic waves indicating a hot, soft column rising from the core-mantle boundary nearly 2,900 kilometers deep.
• Computer models estimate the plume spans 200–300 kilometers in diameter and is 100–300 °C hotter than the surrounding mantle.
• A 100-kilometer-thick layer of rock prevents the plume from melting through, explaining the absence of surface volcanism above it.
• Analysis indicates the plume emerged during the late Eocene and likely influenced India’s plate drift about 40 million years ago while still contributing to land uplift in eastern Oman.
• The discovery implies higher-than-expected heat leakage from Earth’s core and raises the prospect of other hidden ‘ghost’ plumes worldwide.