New research from Cardiff University explores the secrets of Earth’s deep interior

Professor Huw Davies is the principal investigator for this NERC-funded study, leading the team to present a powerful new method for testing how the Earth’s mantle circulates over geological timescales.

For the first time, a broad array of disparate observational data has been systematically brought together to test a single model of mantle flow.

The challenge the researchers sought to address was the lack of a robust way to constrain or test these mantle circulation models. In response, the team introduced a way to integrate and test a wide variety of data — including seismic, geochemical, and geomagnetic observations — against computer models that simulate how material moves inside the Earth. This flow, known as mantle circulation, is responsible for moving heat from the planet's interior to the surface and drives processes such as plate tectonics, volcanic activity, and even mass extinction events caused by massive magma eruptions.

Professor Huw Davies shared that: The development of this method was only possible through collaboration with a large team of colleagues (30 co-authors) from 8 UK Universities. I look forward to the increased understanding it will give us of our ‘inner space’.

What distinguishes this Cardiff-led research project is its comprehensive and integrative methodology - utilising diverse datasets to construct a more complete picture of Earth’s interior. Some of these data sources - such as seismic imaging and measurements of surface uplift—offer insights into the current structure of the mantle. Others, including patterns of geomagnetic reversals and geochemical signatures preserved in ancient lava, shed light on the planet’s deep geological history. These contributions come from researchers based at the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool and Oxford, Cardiff University, Imperial College London, and University College London.

Looking ahead, future research will broaden the application of this valuable testing framework to a wider array of models, with global relevance and implications for a wide range of fields, from earthquake science to the study of long-term climate stability .

The publication of this research and the ongoing interdisciplinary efforts reinforce Cardiff School of Earth and Environmental Sciences’ impactful scientific contributions to our global understanding of the scale and nature of the dynamic processes occurring beneath Earth’s surface.

Read the full article at the Proceedings of the Royal Society.