Scientists to record Earth’s pulse in the ocean

A new project deploying 50 highly sensitive measuring tools on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean aims to fix the gap in scientists’ understanding of movements deep within the Earth.

The seismometers, which detect vibrations due to seismic waves, will be placed across a region encompassing the Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira.

They will continuously record the Earth’s ground motions and what researchers call the pulse of the planet over the course of a year.

The project led by University College London (UCL) – called UPFLOW – aims to better understand big upwellings of material pushing up from Earth’s mantle.

These are poorly understood and, as they can occur far away from the boundaries of continental plates, cannot be explained by the theory of plate tectonics.

Primary investigator Professor Ana Ferreira, of UCL Earth Sciences, said: “This is a first of a kind seismic experiment.

“It is the first time we have covered such a large region of the North Atlantic ocean with these highly sensitive instruments.

“By analysing their data, we hope to better understand the massive motions occurring hundreds of kilometres deep in the Earth’s mantle.

“These motions are what ultimately cause volcanic eruptions and can also lead to earthquakes.”

The project will use a new seismic imaging method – a way to characterise the structure under the Earth’s surface by analysing seismic waves – previously used by astrophysicists to study distant galaxies.