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The Plate Under the Mega-Eruption Was Rebuilt From Within

Seismic waves reveal horizontal layers cut by vertical dike swarms beneath the Ontong Java Plateau.

Published Updated Story ID: mp-2026-07-19-009
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Summary

Seismic waves reveal horizontal layers cut by vertical dike swarms beneath the Ontong Java Plateau.

Researchers used Po and So seismic waves recorded by ocean-bottom and island instruments to model the structure under the world's largest oceanic plateau. Efficient Po transmission and weakened So waves fit a composite plate crossed by broad vertical magma intrusions, while unusually slow velocities suggest chemical alteration as magma rose. The analysis reconstructs a 110- to 120-million-year-old event from present-day wave behavior; it does not directly observe the ancient flow.

Why it matters

Seismic waves reveal horizontal layers cut by vertical dike swarms beneath the Ontong Java Plateau.

Limits and context

  • The analysis reconstructs a 110- to 120-million-year-old event from present-day wave behavior; it does not directly observe the ancient flow.

Key claims

  1. Seismic waves reveal horizontal layers cut by vertical dike swarms beneath the Ontong Java Plateau.

    Qualification: The analysis reconstructs a 110- to 120-million-year-old event from present-day wave behavior; it does not directly observe the ancient flow.

    Evidence: source-2026-07-19-009

Sources

  1. Okayama University of Science via ScienceDaily: Ontong Java PlateauOkayama University of Science via ScienceDaily · secondary reporting

Corrections

No corrections have been recorded for this story.