A part of Earth's crust is "sinking" toward the core… and this could change everything…

A recently published study has uncovered a little-known tectonic process occurring beneath the Central Anatolian Plateau in Turkey, where part of Earth’s crust is “dripping” deep into the planet’s interior. This rare phenomenon, known as lithospheric dripping, adds a new layer of complexity to how scientists understand plate tectonics—not just on Earth, but potentially on other planetary bodies as well.

The study, published in Nature Communications, focuses on the Konya Basin, a topographical depression located in central Turkey. Using satellite and seismic data, scientists observed a “circular feature” where the crust appears to be sinking. Beneath the basin, they found a seismic anomaly and a thickened crust—strong evidence of dense material accumulating in the upper mantle.

Lead author Julia Andersen, a geophysicist at the University of Toronto, explained that this anomaly indicated “a possible lithospheric drip into the mantle.” Essentially, the heavy lower crust has begun to flow downward like a viscous substance, forming a blob that slowly sinks, like honey, pulling the surface down with it. Once this melted blob detaches, the crust rebounds, causing the land above to rise.

The Central Anatolian Plateau has been slowly rising for millions of years, gaining about one kilometer in elevation over the last 10 million years. But curiously, while the broader region continues to rise, the Konya Basin behaves differently—it is sinking at about 20 millimeters per year. This contrast led researchers to conclude that a secondary lithospheric drip is occurring beneath the basin, independent of the earlier uplift event.

According to Russell Pysklywec, also from the University of Toronto, the original drip likely triggered “offspring events” elsewhere in the region. He described how “as the lithosphere thickened and dripped beneath the area, it formed a surface basin that later rebounded when the weight below detached and sank deeper into the mantle.” This process now seems to be repeating, forming a smaller secondary drip beneath Konya.

To verify their findings, the research team recreated the dripping process in a controlled laboratory environment. Using polydimethylsiloxane, a sticky silicone polymer, they replicated the adhesive consistency of Earth’s lower mantle. The upper mantle was modeled using a mixture of the same polymer and clay, while a blend of ceramic spheres and silica sand formed the simulated crust.

They inserted a dense seed into the upper mantle layer to initiate the drip. Within ten hours, a viscous droplet had formed and began to sink. About 50 hours after the start of the experiment, a secondary drip developed. Researchers observed that even without any horizontal movement, this secondary drip managed to “pull the crust downward and began to create a basin.” This provided clear evidence that such processes can occur in vertical isolation, deep beneath the surface.

The findings don’t just impact our understanding of Earth. The researchers see parallels in other geological formations—most notably the Arizaro Basin in the Andes Mountains of South America. Similar mechanisms may have contributed to its formation, suggesting that lithospheric dripping is not unique to Turkey.

More broadly, the study opens the door to exploring similar geological activity on other planets like Mars and Venus, where surface tectonics differ, but the fundamental mantle dynamics are believed to be comparable.

“KORÇA BOOM”