The debate among researchers whether Resurrection Plate existed or not has a long history. But a recent discovery has finally found evidence of its existence
A team of researchers from the University of Huston College of Natural Sciences and Mathematic have recently found evidences suggesting that Resurrection plate in fact did exist and was not fictitious. The research was published in the Geological Society of American Bulletin.
After studying the existing tomography images, scans of interior of the earth, geologists have revealed the existence of a portion of crust more than hundreds of kilometer below the Yukon Slab (Canada). The crust has a similar shape as the Resurrection tectonic plate, which is believed to have existed in the early Cenozoic Era.
To be able to see how the plate looked in Cenozoic Era, the scientists used computer modeling technique called slab unfolding. The technique allowed the scientists to see what the plate looked like before it underwent so many changes in the last 66 million years.
According to already existing research, during the early Cenozoic Era, there were two tectonic plates beneath the Pacific Ocean namely Kula and Farallon. Whereas many other researchers also believed that there were not two but three tectonic plates including Resurrection plate. The plate has underwent many changes due to extreme hot conditions in the mantle of the Earth where it has stayed hidden for about 40 to 60 million years.
Professor Jonny Wu, Geologist at the Houston University, who was part of the study says:
“When ‘raised’ back to the earth’s surface and reconstructed, the boundaries of this ancient Resurrection tectonic plate match well with the ancient volcanic belts in Washington State and Alaska, providing a much sought after link between the ancient Pacific Ocean and the North American geologic record.”
The discovery of the plate can help researchers in better understanding tectonic shifts in the region which are the major cause of earthquakes and volcanic activities. It will also help in locating and understanding the natural resources and deposits that are present in the region, including various minerals and hydrocarbons.