Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. This finding may stimulate further investigations into ancient volcanic arcs like this one, which researchers utilize to gain insights into the formation of Earth’s crust millions of years in the past.
In 2021, scientists identified another array of volcanic arcs at the boundary of the Yangtze Block — a significant tectonic plate located beneath southern China — and the authors of the current study were intrigued about the possibility of discovering additional arcs found further inland. Their risk seems to have been rewarded, as Zhidong Gu, a senior engineer at PetroChina, and his team uncovered more than 400 miles of long-dormant, ancient volcanoes situated deep beneath the Earth’s surface.
