magma

Rising magma heats these buried layers, producing methane and other hydrocarbons.

As bubbles accumulate, the magma becomes more buoyant and rises faster, sometimes tearing apart and erupting explosively.

The researchers estimated that the volume of magma that moved through the crust could have filled 200,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

As this ancient magma ocean cooled, many scientists expected the mantle to have developed distinct chemical layers, similar to how frozen juice separates into sugary concentrate and watery ice.

Their findings show that soon after Gondwana split apart, a pulse of magma unusually rich in continental material erupted to the surface.