Mysterious Underground Blob Slowly Advancing Towards New York City

According to a recent study, a massive blob of hot rock located deep beneath New England appears to be part of an ancient 'mantle wave' that has been slowly moving and shaping the continent's mountains for over 90 million years. The nearly 250-mile-wide anomaly, known as the Northern Appalachian Anomaly (NAA), is currently situated about 125 miles underground, stretching across several Northeastern states.

Researchers from the University of Southampton and the Helmholtz Center for Geosciences discovered the NAA using advanced seismic tomography, a technique that allows them to map the Earth's interior. Unlike typical hot spots near volcanoes, this blob is located far inland, hidden beneath the ancient Appalachian Mountains. Worryingly, the NAA is still on the move, creeping southward at a rate of about 12 miles every million years, putting it on a trajectory to reach New York City in approximately 15 million years.

The study suggests this underground blob is part of a larger 'mantle wave' that began when North America split from Europe near the Labrador Sea millions of years ago. As the continent drifted, the mantle beneath became unstable, causing dense material to sink and lighter, hotter rock to rise up, creating these mysterious anomalies. While the NAA may contribute to the region's relative seismic stability, geologists warn that similar 'drips' of heavy rock could be shaping the Appalachians and other mountain ranges across the United States.