Earth’s interior temperature 60 degrees hotter than previously thought, student accidentally finds

Earth’s interior temperature is about 60 degrees Celsius hotter than previously thought and could explain how tectonic plates move on Earth’s surface, research by a 28-year-old United States PhD student has found.

PhD student Emily Sarafian stumbled upon the discovery while researching the melting point of mantle rock — the layer between Earth’s crust and its core.

“While we did not necessarily set out to measure the mantle temperature, our experimental results on the melting point of mantle rock showed us the new mantle temperature,” Ms Sarafian told ABC News.

“In fact, mantle must be 60 degrees Celsius hotter than current estimates. That’s a very significant jump.”

She said the hotter the mantle is, the softer it would be and the easier it would flow….

Source: Earth’s interior temperature 60 degrees hotter than previously thought, student accidentally finds – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)