What deep Earth structures are suggested to be the undigested remnants of Theia?
Answer
Large Low-Shear-Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs)
Scientists searching for physical evidence of the Theia impact deep within Earth point to two massive, oddly shaped structures located near the core-mantle boundary, known as Large Low-Shear-Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs). These provinces are chemically distinct from the surrounding mantle material and are significantly hotter than adjacent material. The theory posits that these anomalies represent the undigested remnants of the impactor—specifically, the dense material that failed to fully mix into Earth's mantle over billions of years of geological processes.
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