CITIZENS NEWS

Deep-Earth “blobs” may trigger deadly supervolcanoes and mass extinction events, scientists warn

By isabelle // 2025-07-17

• Australian researchers link massive underground "blobs" to Earth’s deadliest volcanic eruptions, capable of causing mass extinctions and climate shifts.
• These continent-sized structures, hidden 1,200 miles below the surface, generate destructive magma plumes that trigger catastrophic eruptions.
• Historical eruptions like the Deccan and Siberian Traps, which wiped out dinosaurs and 90 percent of life, may have originated from these deep-Earth anomalies.
• Modern detection methods can’t predict such eruptions, leaving humanity unprepared for a potential volcanic winter and global collapse.
• Despite the existential threat, governments and media largely ignore the risk, focusing on short-term crises over this hidden planetary danger.

Australian researchers have now identified mysterious, continent-sized "blobs" lurking 1,200 miles beneath Earth’s crust as the likely culprits behind history’s most devastating volcanic eruptions. Using advanced computer modeling spanning one billion years, scientists found that these deep-Earth structures generate molten rock plumes that rise toward the surface, triggering eruptions so powerful they can alter the planet’s climate and cause mass extinctions. The findings, published in a peer-reviewed journal, reveal a chilling connection between these subterranean anomalies and some of Earth’s deadliest geological events, raising urgent questions about humanity’s preparedness for the next global catastrophe. For decades, scientists have puzzled over the origins of "large igneous provinces" (LIPs), massive volcanic eruptions that dwarf even the most violent modern-day explosions. Unlike typical volcanoes, LIPs spew enough lava to bury entire continents and release toxic gases that choke the atmosphere for centuries. Now, researchers from the University of Wollongong in Australia believe they’ve traced these apocalyptic events to two colossal "blobs" embedded in Earth’s mantle — one beneath Africa and another under the Pacific Ocean.

The hidden architects of destruction

These blobs, formally known as large low-velocity provinces (LLVPs), are dense, enigmatic structures first detected through seismic imaging. Their exact composition remains debated, but their influence is undeniable. Using supercomputers to simulate mantle convection over a billion-year timeline, the Australian team discovered that LIP eruption sites consistently aligned with the edges of these blobs, suggesting that the blobs act as subterranean "factories" for superheated magma plumes. When these plumes break through the crust, the results are catastrophic. Historical LIP eruptions, such as the Deccan Traps event 66 million years ago — coinciding with the dinosaur extinction — released more than 200,000 cubic miles of lava. Another, the Siberian Traps eruption 252 million years ago, may have killed 90% of all life in Earth’s deadliest mass extinction. The new study implies that these weren’t random disasters but the inevitable result of deep-Earth forces that are still active today.

A ticking time bomb beneath our feet?

Although the study doesn’t predict an imminent eruption, it confirms that the blobs are long-term drivers of global volcanism. Unlike traditional volcanoes, LIPs give little warning before erupting, making them nearly impossible to forecast with current technology. The implications are dire. A modern LIP-scale eruption could plunge Earth into a "volcanic winter," blocking sunlight with ash and sulfur dioxide for decades. Crop failures, mass starvation and societal collapse would follow. Yet, governments and scientific institutions have largely ignored the risk, focusing instead on short-term climate narratives while ignoring this existential threat lurking beneath the crust. Critics argue that more research is needed to definitively link the blobs to every major eruption. Still, the evidence is mounting. Previous studies have shown that LLVPs are chemically distinct from the surrounding mantle, possibly remnants of ancient planetary collisions. Their heat-trapping properties could explain why magma plumes form at their edges, where temperatures and pressures reach critical thresholds.

Silence from the scientific establishment

Despite the groundbreaking findings, mainstream media and government agencies have remained eerily silent. No emergency preparedness campaigns warn of supervolcanoes, and no funding surges support early detection systems. Instead, public discourse fixates on politically convenient crises while ignoring natural threats that could erase civilization overnight. Meanwhile, the Australian team’s models suggest that the blobs aren’t going anywhere. Their slow but relentless influence means future LIP eruptions are inevitable. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk ScienceAlert.com DiscoverMagazine.com

collapse environment mass extinction volcano research natural disaster supervolcanoes ecology dangerous discoveries badscience real investigations deep-earth blobs low-velocity provinces large igneous provinces