EARTH: The Question of Mantle Plumes

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EARTH: The Question of Mantle Plumes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12/22/2015

Alexandria, VA - Do mantle plumes exist? EARTH Magazine explores one of the most hotly debated topics within the geoscience community. From the origin of plate tectonic theory to the results of the most recent experiments using techniques like isotope geochemistry and seismic tomography,  the results of mantle studies are often contradictory, giving rise to the longstanding debate. 

It is not just the lack of clarity in the data that opponents of the mantle plume hypothesis find frustrating, but the fact that plumes are taught, as early as  grade school, as a settled scientific fact about how the planet's mantle functions. Explore  how today's faculty broach the subject, read about new ways these data are being interpreted and what improved supercomputing technology can bring to this debate in the January issue of EARTH Magazine: http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/question-mantle-plumes.

EARTH Magazine starts off 2016 with some of the most exciting stories from around the geoscience community, like in-depth coverage of the excavation of "Snowmastodon" fossil site in Colorado, and research news like the role meteorites played in the formation of Earth's earliest continents and how oceanographers identified the source of a mysterious beach explosion in New England. EARTH continues to bring you interviews with prominent geoscientists in its "Down to EARTH" series as well as fun features such as the "Where on EARTH?" photo contest and a monthly crossword puzzle or word jumble. For more information and the science behind the headlines go to www.earthmagazine.org.

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Keep up to date with the latest happenings in Earth, energy and environment news with EARTH Magazine online at: http://www.earthmagazine.org/. Published by the American Geosciences Institute, EARTH is your source for the science behind the headlines.

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The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.