Scientists have made a surprising discovery deep beneath the North Sea. They have found huge sand formations that break the normal rules of how Earth’s layers usually form.
The discovery was made by researchers from The University of Manchester, working closely with experts in the energy industry.
Using advanced 3D seismic imaging, and data from hundreds of wells, they found massive mounds of sand, some several kilometres wide, buried deep underground.
These sand structures have sunk downwards, pushing up softer, older materials from below.
Normally, older rocks remain at the bottom and younger layers build on top over time.This unusual upside-down layering is called stratigraphic inversion.
While small examples of this have been seen before, this is the largest known case, making it a groundbreaking discovery.
The scientists have named these giant sand formations "sinkites" (because the sand sank), and the lighter, lifted layers above them are called "floatites".
These formations likely formed millions of years ago, during the Late Miocene to Pliocene periods, possibly due to earthquakes or sudden underground pressure shifts.
These events may have caused the sand to liquefy and sink through cracks in the seabed, while the lighter sediment, full of tiny marine fossils, floated upward.
According to Prof Mads Huuse, lead researcher on the project, this finding is important because it shows how fluids and sediments can behave in very unusual ways underground.
Understanding how these formations occur could help scientists better predict where oil, gas, or carbon dioxide might safely be stored underground.
That makes it a major development for carbon capture and storage (CCS), a key strategy in fighting climate change.
Read more at: ScienceDaily.com
Research published in Communications Earth & Environment, Nature.