article_snippet: Last week it was announced a new 'superviscous' layer in Earth’s lower mantle had been discovered.
article_snippet: The breakthrough could explain why parts of Earth’s sinking tectonic plates sometimes stall and thicken 930 miles (1,500km) underground.
article_snippet: The breakthrough could also explain why earthquakes occur deep inside the Earth’s interior, suggesting it is hotter than previously thought.
article_snippet: The research was carried out by scientists at the University of Utah by crushing minerals between diamonds to replicate conditions in Earth's interior.
article_snippet: a new 'superviscous' layer in Earth extends from 410 miles (660km) underground to 930 miles (1,500km).
article_snippet: In a new 'superviscous' layer in Earth, liquids are under such intense pressure that liquids are extremely stiff - known as superviscosity.