This should be of interest to some cavers.
Geologist have often thought that the athenosphere in the earth was a
giant circulating flow of magma.
But a group of geologist have discovered what they claim is a giant blob in
the earth below the state of Nevada, that is hanging from the ceiling of the
lithosphere like a blob in a Lava Lamp.
http://news.aol.com/article/giant-blob-in-nevada/499851
They propose that it has been hanging there for millions of years.
Wouldn't that be an under-magma snottite ?
Is this the earth's largest speleothem?
It has been hanging for millions of years, just like a stalactite.
Wouldn't any mineral formation that had crystalized under the lithosphere
be a speleothem ? I guess the rock boundary would be void of crystals,
since the temperature is supposedly around 1000 degrees F, but wouldn't
the high pressure offset that ?
I guess it doesn't matter, since it can't be collected or photographed.
But if they could detect a kilometer long stalactite made out of some obscure
mineral with a high boiling point, wouldn't that be fascinating ?
David Locklear
Ref:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snottite
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