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Something is happening in the Atlantic Ocean. A scientist proposed to detach a tectonic plate off the Portuguese coast, the upper layer separating from the bottom.
João Duarte, a researcher at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, presented his findings at the meeting of the European Geoscience Union in April. His work, which has not yet been published and has not been reviewed by other scientists, suggests that the strange events under the Atlantic could be the result of the formation of 39, a brand new subduction zone that would bring Europe closer to Canada, National Geographic reports.
During the last centuries, two catastrophic earthquakes hit the Portuguese coast. What could have caused these events has remained a mystery: the region from which they are apparently originating is basically an immersed version of the Great Plains; a flat expanse, without relief, without any active tectonic fault likely to displace the earth.
Duarte has been studying the seismic history of Lisbon for decades. Previously, scientists had proposed that the bottom of the tectonic plate on which Portugal rests should come off the top. Nearly ten years ago, researchers studied the area using seismic waves when they discovered a dense structure under the crust. Subsequent research revealed that tiny earthquakes occurred in this mass over an area of 150 miles.
Further pushing the idea of peeling, Duarte and his colleagues created a numerical model that takes into account observed features and fracture zones. Computer simulations seemed to support the idea of a peelable tectonic plate. "It's mainly to connect points," he told the magazine.
If the results were confirmed, it would be the first time that an ocean plate is observed doing it. according to National Geographicit could be an early phase of the narrowing of the Atlantic Ocean as Europe heads to North America.
The tectonic plates are constantly moving. In subduction zones, one plate sinks under another. In other areas, the plates separate. Throughout the history of planet Earth, this movement has led to different configurations of the continental masses of the planet, including the supercontinents of Pangea and Gondwana. Subduction zones are the main feature behind the movement of Earth's tectonic plates – but their formation is unclear.
Duarte says that the tectonic peel that occurs off the coast of Portugal could lead to the formation of a new subduction zone. The researchers are currently drafting their conclusions ready to be submitted for publication.
However, not everyone is convinced. Fabio Crameri, a researcher at the University of Oslo in Norway, said National Geographic Although the research is "interesting," the models used will require additional testing, which will be difficult when working on geologic time scales. "Most of what we know up to now, is that the new subduction tends to stay in places where we are already in subduction," he said. "But that does not mean it will not happen."
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