--- title: "Scientists Discover “Unexpected” Structures Near Earth’s Core" description: "A team of researchers say they've used cutting-edge imaging techniques to discover huge, \"unexpected\" structures near the Earth's core" date: "2020-06-12" modified: "2020-06-12" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/unexpected-structures-earth-core" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "earth" - "earthquakes" - "geology" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Discover “Unexpected” Structures Near Earth’s Core ![A team of researchers say they've used cutting-edge imaging techniques to discover huge, "unexpected" structures near the Earth's core]() *\Image: Doyeon Kim/University of Maryland\* ## Deep Underground A team of researchers say they've used cutting-edge imaging techniques to discover huge, "unexpected" structures near the Earth's core — a startling reminder of how little we know about the interior of the planet where we live. Vedran Lekić, an associate professor of geology at the University of Maryland who worked on the research, said in [a statement]() that the "anomalous structures at the core-mantle boundary are much more widespread than previously thought." ## Core Sample According to [a paper]() about the work published in the journal *Science*, Lekić's team used a machine learning algorithm called Sequencer to analyze seismic from hundreds of earthquakes, collected over decades, to map the inside of the Earth in unprecedented detail — a process they compared to the way bats use [echolocation to map their environment](). The team still isn't sure what the large structure near the Earth's core are composed of, but they say they're likely a form of extremely dense, extremely hot rock. ## Earth Song The surprise finding revealed structures geologists didn't even suspect — and Lekić is hopeful the same technique will continue to shed light on [more mysteries]() about the inside of our world. "We were surprised to find such a big feature beneath the Marquesas Islands that we didn’t even know existed before," Lekić said. "This is really exciting, because it shows how the Sequencer algorithm can help us to contextualize seismogram data across the globe in a way we couldn’t before." **READ MORE:** [ Scientists Detect Unexpected Widespread Structures Near Earth’s ]()\[University of Maryland\] **More on geology:** *[Proof of a New Geological Epoch: Over 200 Minerals Have Been Created by Humans]()* ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()