Notas del episodio
12 Sep 2025 < Note the date
But today, 19 Feb 2026: Magnitude 4.1
Region PORTUGAL
Date time Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:14:01 +0000
Location 39.071 ; -9.052
Depth 14.6 Km
A new study reveals that an ocean plate is breaking off beneath the sea near Portugal, a process called delamination. This phenomenon, previously thought impossible, could explain Europe’s largest earthquakes, including the devastating 1755 Lisbon earthquake. The study utilised seismic images and computer simulations to discover the first evidence of a large ocean plate sinking into the mantle, challenging existing geological theories.
A new hypothesis, “takeoff,” explains the presence of a deep oceanic lithosphere slab without corresponding crustal shortening. This slab, formed from a serpentinised oceanic lithosphere, is detaching from the crust due to pre-existing faults and a lubricating serpentinised layer. This process, confirmed by simulations, could explain the Lisbon earthquake and potentially initiate a new subduction zone, eventually consuming the Atlantic Ocean floor.