{"id":289779,"date":"2026-02-18T10:22:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T10:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/289779\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T10:22:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T10:22:08","slug":"deep-earth-movements-created-antarcticas-gravity-hole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/289779\/","title":{"rendered":"Deep Earth movements created Antarctica\u2019s “gravity hole”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Scientist<\/a>image: \u00a9fcafotodigital | iStock
\n Scientists have mapped Antarctica\u2019s \u201cgravity hole,\u201d revealing it was formed by deep mantle movements over 70 million years. This gravitational shift coincides with the continent\u2019s glaciation, suggesting a link between Earth\u2019s interior and climate<\/p>\n

Geophysicists have discovered the origins of Earth\u2019s weakest gravitational field, located directly beneath Antarctica.<\/a> A study published in Scientific Reports on 12 February 2026 reveals that slow rock movements deep within the planet\u2019s mantle, occurring over 70 million years, shaped this unique \u201cgravity hole.\u201d<\/p>\n

While gravity feels constant, it actually fluctuates across the globe based on the density of the rock below. In Antarctica, the rock is less dense, causing a gravitational low that actually pulls the ocean surface lower relative to the Earth\u2019s center.<\/p>\n

Mapping the Earth\u2019s interior<\/p>\n

To understand this phenomenon, researchers from the University of Florida and the Paris Institute of Earth Physics used seismic waves from global earthquakes. Much like a medical CT scan, these waves \u201cilluminated\u201d the three-dimensional structure of the planet, allowing scientists to see deep-seated density variations.<\/p>\n

By combining these earthquake recordings with physics-based modeling, the team successfully reconstructed a gravitational map of the entire planet. Their model closely matched satellite data, confirming that the \u201cgravity hole\u201d is a direct result of the specific arrangement of rocks in the Earth\u2019s interior.<\/a><\/p>\n

A 70-million-year rewind<\/p>\n

Using supercomputers, the researchers simulated the flow of mantle rock backward in time to the age of the dinosaurs. They discovered a significant shift in the gravitational landscape:<\/p>\n

70 to 50 Million Years Ago:<\/p>\n

The Antarctic gravity hole was significantly weaker.<\/p>\n

50 to 30 Million Years Ago:<\/p>\n

The gravity hole rapidly intensified.<\/p>\n

This strengthening period overlaps perfectly with the era when Antarctica began its transition from a warmer climate to a frozen, ice-covered continent. The researchers suggest that the shift in gravity and the resulting changes in sea level and continental elevation may have played a key role in the formation of the massive ice sheets we see today.<\/p>\n

The connection between deep Earth and climate<\/p>\n

This research highlights a profound link between the Earth\u2019s molten interior<\/a> and its surface climate. Because a weaker gravitational pull causes water to flow away toward stronger areas, the sea level around Antarctica is lower than it would be otherwise.<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s next goal is to determine if these gravitational changes directly encouraged the growth of ice. By understanding how the planet\u2019s interior shapes the surface, scientists gain vital insights into the long-term stability of the world\u2019s largest ice sheets and their impact on global sea levels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"image: \u00a9fcafotodigital | iStock Scientists have mapped Antarctica\u2019s \u201cgravity hole,\u201d revealing it was formed by deep mantle movements…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":289780,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[5594,111,139,69,393,78069,147,9415],"class_list":{"0":"post-289779","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-earth-science","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nz","12":"tag-physics","13":"tag-research-innovation","14":"tag-science","15":"tag-space-exploration"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=289779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/289780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=289779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=289779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=289779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}