Yet beneath the American Midwest, seismic data reveals abnormal thinning at the base of the North American craton, indicating deep disturbance. The "droplet" imagery describes a precise physical ...

One documented example occurred in the North China Craton’s deepest root layer millions of years ago. However, until recently, scientists hadn’t had a chance to study the process as it happened.

North America’s geological core has persisted for billions of years—it’s what scientists call a craton, a massive block of continental rock that withstands the natural recycling system of ...

Scientists have discovered that a portion of the North American craton is slowly dripping into Earth's mantle, challenging the idea that these ancient crustal structures are immovable. Seismic ...