New Method Proposed to Image Earth's Interior Using Directional Geoneutrino Detection
Researchers have proposed deploying a kiloton-scale liquid scintillator detector on the ocean floor to detect directional geoneutrinos and image large-scale structures deep within Earth's mantle. Geoneutrinos are electron antineutrinos produced by radioactive decay of heat-producing elements such as thorium and uranium inside the Earth, and have been detected since 2005, but existing detectors cannot spatially resolve deep structures. The Ocean Bottom Detector (OBD) project could provide the first direct observational constraints on the distribution of heat-producing elements in the mantle, including enigmatic Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces.
A multi-institutional team of researchers has evaluated the feasibility of using angularly sensitive geoneutrino detectors to distinguish between homogeneous and heterogeneous mantle models, with particular focus on Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs) — vast, anomalous regions at the base of the mantle detected seismically but poorly understood geochemically. The study finds that LLSVPs enriched in thorium and uranium would produce a distinctive geoneutrino flux with characteristic angular patterns detectable from the ocean floor. A site above the Pacific LLSVP is identified as especially favorable for such measurements. The proposed Ocean Bottom Detector (OBD) would be a kiloton-scale liquid scintillator instrument deployed directly on the seafloor, offering spatial sensitivity that land-based detectors cannot achieve due to the overwhelming geoneutrino signal from continental crust. The research emphasizes that combining geophysical and geochemical data is essential for optimal detector site selection. Ultimately, the project aims to improve constraints on Earth's total internal heat budget and the deep distribution of heat-producing elements, questions that remain central to understanding planetary evolution. The work was presented at the XIX International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics (TAUP 2025).
What's missing
The paper does not specify a projected timeline or funding status for the OBD project. Additionally, the study is a conference proceedings paper and has not yet undergone formal peer review.
What different sources said
- arXiv physicsCenter
Towards imaging Earth's large-scale structures by directional geoneutrino detection with Ocean Bottom Detector
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