A massive lake of molten carbon the size of Mexico is discovered under the US, and it could cause climate CHAOS
-Situated under western US, 217 miles (350km) beneath the Earth's surface
- Scientists used world's largest array of seismic sensors to map area
- Melting carbon covers an area of 700,000 sq miles (1.8 million sq km)
- Upper mantle could contain up to 100 trillion metric tonnes of melted carbon
- Its discovery challenges what researchers have assumed about how much carbon is trapped inside the planet
A huge well of molten carbon that would spell disaster for the planet if released has been found under the US.
Scientists using the world's largest array of seismic sensors have mapped a deep-Earth area, covering 700,000 sq miles (1.8 million sq km).
This is around the size of Mexico, and researchers say it has the potential to cause untold environmental damage.
The discovery could change our understanding of how much carbon the Earth contains, suggesting it is much more than we previously believed.
gases.