Serendipitous Discovery: Scientists Capture the Moment of Planet's Crust Formation

For the first time, scientists have recorded in real time the formation of new oceanic crust in the Indian Ocean. The breakthrough was made possible by the OHA-GEODAMS underwater observatory, installed in February 2024. On April 26, 2024, a swarm of earthquakes triggered the opening process. Measurements showed that the horizontal shift of plates corresponded to 30-60 years of stable expansion, with most of the movement being aseismic.

A team of scientists has, for the first time in observational history, captured and measured in real time the process of new oceanic crust formation in the southern Indian Ocean. The breakthrough was made possible by perfect timing and the work of a research group led by Jean-Yves Royer from the French National Centre for Scientific Research. In February 2024, scientists deployed the OHA-GEODAMS underwater observatory, covering a section of the submarine ridge near the remote Amsterdam and Saint-Paul Islands. On April 26, 2024, a powerful swarm of earthquakes shook the seafloor in this area, initiating the opening process. As an additional stroke of luck, the erupted lava solidified about two kilometers from the measuring instruments, sparing the equipment. The researchers reconstructed in detail the birth of the opening impulse: colossal pressure accumulates in pockets of molten rock, and when it reaches a critical point, magma is displaced sideways, and the surface subsides. The measurement results exceeded expectations: the plate displacement was disproportionately larger than what could have been caused by the recorded tremors of magnitude around 5. The horizontal shift corresponded to indicators that would normally take thirty to sixty years of stable expansion. Scientists concluded that the lion's share of the movement occurred aseismically—as a smooth, silent sliding of plates. This discovery fundamentally changes scientific understanding of the dynamics of oceanic floor formation.