Researchers have found a massive hole beneath the Indian Ocean that spreads over a large area on the seafloor. As expected, it has generated curiosity among the scientists. This hole, called Gravity Hole, is located beneath the Indian Ocean just south of Sri Lanka. The extent of this Gravity Hole is vast, as it covers an area of about three million square kilometres. This area is deeper than the lowest layer of the ocean!

Many believe that the seafloor may be going down. There was also speculation as to whether the hole could cause any damage to the Earth’s surface in the coming days, or whether it has anything to do with Global Warming. Gravity Hole is an area where the gravitational pull is lighter in comparison to the other surroundings. It happens due to the variation in density and mass distribution, as the Earth’s Gravitational Force is not uniform. The same has happened beneath the Indian Ocean.

Meanwhile, two Indian scientists have discovered the possible reason why this huge hole formed under the Indian Ocean. Debanjan Pal, a Researcher in Computational Geodynamics, and Associate Professor Dr Attreyee Ghosh of the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) recently published their research paper in Geophysical Research Letters journal.

Pal and Dr Ghosh have claimed that although the shape of the Earth is thought to be like a perfect sphere, it is not. Instead, the surface of the Earth is high in some places, low in other places, and some parts are a little flatter. They have further claimed that the Gravity Hole, formed in the Indian Ocean, is not literally a hole that reduces or absorbs sea water. According to the two researchers, it is an anomalous place in the crust, where the Earth’s gravitational pull is relatively weak. They have analysed the Earth’s surface through computer models, and have come to the conclusion only after observing this Gravity Hole minutely.

Scientists have monitored the geological changes, which have taken place for the last 140 million years, in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). They are of the opinion that the continental and oceanic plates of the Earth have moved quite a bit because of this Gravity Hole. They have attributed the weak gravitational pull at the centre of the Indian Ocean to molten magma in the Earth’s mantle layer beneath the crust. It may be noted that the magma formed the Earth 20 million years ago. Since then, the hot and liquid magma has been flowing under the crust. Scientists believe that the hole beneath the Indian Ocean will disappear, if the flow of magma stops.

It is not possible to realise the presence of this hole in the Indian Ocean from the outside. However, more detailed research on this Gravity Hole is underway. So, more new information and new ideas may emerge in the coming days.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das