This is an English-Chinese bilingual summary for the paper. 此文為以上期刊文章的中英雙語簡介。

Geologists have long recognized the heterogeneity of the Earth's mantle. Basalts, whether formed at mid-ocean ridges or other magmatic contexts, carry distinct geochemical signatures that reflect their mantle origins. By analyzing isotopes such as lead, neodymium, and hafnium in these rocks, distinct geochemical characteristics emerge, delineating various mantle regions. Notably, the isotopic ratio of ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb in basalts from the Indian Ocean's mid-ocean ridge differs markedly from those of the East Pacific Rise, indicating the existence of distinct mantle domains—specifically, the Pacific and Indian domains. Recent research in 2019 introduced another domain: the Zealandia-Antarctic domain, located between the Indian and Pacific domains, identified through basalts sourced from the Southern Ocean, Tonga, New Zealand, and nearby southern hemisphere regions.

Traditionally, studies have focused on zero-age or Quaternary basalts to investigate mantle heterogeneity, primarily because these samples are minimally affected by plate tectonic complexities. However, over geological timescales, the extensive movement of tectonic plates necessitates the adjustment of older basalts to their original locations.

Qian et al. leverages digital plate tectonic reconstructions to address the challenges posed by the movement of older basalts. This approach allows them to more comprehensively reconstruct the spatial distribution of the Zealandia-Antarctic domain. Furthermore, their findings reveal the dynamic history of the Philippine Sea Plate, which initially traversed the Zealandia-Antarctic domain before moving into the Indian Domain. This tectonic journey resulted in the older western side of the Philippine Sea Plate predominantly comprising basalts from the Zealandia-Antarctic domain, whereas the younger eastern side features basalts from the Indian Domain.

For a longer summary, please see the link below:

https://communities.springernature.com/posts/secrets-of-the-mantle-underworld-revealed-by-magmatic-rocks-on-the-philippine-sea-earth-s-fastest-tectonic-plate