Mysterious zones in the deep mantle where earthquake waves slow to a crawl may actually be everywhere, new research finds. Scientists already knew that ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs), hover near ...

For the past two decades, seismological studies have identified anomalous low-velocity zones above the CMB, such as the large low-shear-velocity provinces (LLSVPs) beneath Africa and the Pacific.

The bottom of each field is the core-mantle boundary. Ultra-low velocity zones can be seen in the top and middle fields, forming at the toes of the light blue zones. Credit must be given to the ...