America’s core is collapsing and we’re watching it happen live

Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have found that parts of the North American continent are slowly “dripping” into the Earth’s mantle. The study, published in Nature Geoscience, links this rare geological activity—called cratonic thinning—to the long-buried Farallon Plate. Using advanced seismic imaging, researchers have mapped the process in real-time beneath the Midwest. While slow and unseen on the surface, it’s offering rare insight into how continents change deep below our feet.