Lithospheric Dripping Turkey has stunned the scientific community after researchers revealed an extraordinary geological process taking place deep beneath the heart of the country. Satellite data and seismic analyses show that the Earth’s crust beneath central Turkey is not stable—it is slowly “dripping” downward, kilometer by kilometer, into the mantle below.
This rare phenomenon is occurring beneath the Central Anatolian Plateau, specifically under the Konya Basin, an area where residents are now being urged to stay informed as scientists continue to study the long-term effects.
A Sinking Basin in a Rising Plateau
Normally, the Central Anatolian Plateau is known as a region that has been rising over millions of years. However, what puzzled scientists was the steady subsidence of the Konya Basin, located right in the middle of this uplifting terrain. It appeared like a shallow depression forming on an otherwise rising surface.
To solve this mystery, a research team led by geophysicist Julia Andersen from the University of Toronto combined satellite measurements with advanced seismic imaging. What they discovered was something rarely observed at this scale.
What Is Lithospheric Dripping?
According to the study published in Nature Communications, the phenomenon behind this event is known as lithospheric dripping. The lithosphere—the rigid outer layer of the Earth—can sometimes become unusually dense in certain regions. When this happens, gravity pulls the heavy rock downward into the softer mantle beneath it.
As this dense mass sinks, it drags the surface above it downward as well, forming a basin. If the “dripping” section eventually detaches and falls deeper into the mantle, the surface above may rebound and rise again.
A Secondary Drip Beneath Konya
Co-author Russell Pysklywec explained that this is not a single, isolated event. Scientists believe the Central Anatolian Plateau rose nearly one kilometer over the last 10 million years due to an earlier lithospheric dripping episode. The current rapid subsidence in the Konya Basin appears to be a secondary or aftershock-like drip, triggered by the original process.
Earth Recreated in the Laboratory
To test their theory, researchers recreated Earth’s interior in a laboratory. They filled a plexiglass tank with a thick silicone polymer to simulate the mantle, then placed ceramic and silica materials on top to represent the crust.
The experiment showed dense material slowly stretching downward and forming a drip—exactly matching satellite observations from Konya. This confirmed that processes happening kilometers beneath the surface are directly shaping the land above.
Clues for Other Planets
The implications of Lithospheric Dripping Turkey extend beyond Earth. Scientists say this process could explain mysterious surface features in places like the Andes Mountains and even on Mars and Venus, where tectonic plates do not function like they do on Earth.
Understanding how landforms can develop without traditional plate tectonics opens new doors in planetary science—and places Turkey at the center of a groundbreaking geological discovery.