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North America is “dripping” underneath down into Earth’s mantle

North America is “dripping” underneath down into Earth’s mantle

Beneath the stable crust of North America, scientists have discovered something extraordinary: the deep roots of the continent are slowly dripping away in blobs of rock.  This unusual geologic process appears to be driven by the remnants of an ancient tectonic plate, revealing a rare opportunity to observe “cratonic thinning” as it happens in real time.  The phenomenon …

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