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Hidden role of garnet reveals how Earth's 660-km seismic boundary forms

Nearly 660 kilometers (410 miles) beneath Earth's surface lies one of the planet's most important internal boundaries. Known as the 660-km seismic discontinuity, it separates the mantle transition zone from the lower mantle and plays a central role in controlling how heat and materials circulate through Earth's interior. This circulation helps drive mantle convection, plate tectonics, volcanic activity and the long-term evolution of the planet. Although scientists have generally attributed this