A Stanford-led study has identified 459 rare earthquakes originating deep within the continental mantle, marking the first global mapping of such events. Unlike typical crustal earthquakes, these occur more than 80 km below the Mohorovičić discontinuity, within high-pressure mantle conditions where brittle failure is uncommon.
The events are concentrated in tectonically active regions, notably the Himalayan collision zone and the Bering Strait area, indicating links with continental collision and deep lithospheric stress.
APSC Relevance:
Important for Geology (Earth’s interior, Moho, deep-focus earthquakes) and Himalayan tectonics.
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