Giant "Blob" of Hot Rock Moving Toward New York City — Very Slowly

A new study published in Geology reveals a massive, slow-moving “blob” of hot rock beneath the Appalachian Mountains, known as the Northern Appalachian Anomaly (NAA).

📍 Location: ca. 125 miles below the surface, spanning 200 miles wide

🌋 What It Is: A thermal upwelling — unusually hot, unstable rock in Earth’s mantle

🧬 Origin: Likely formed when Greenland split from North America, peeling off part of the mantle

🐢 Speed: Migrating ca. 12 miles per million years (20 km)

🧭 Direction: Slowly drifting toward New York City

⏳ Timeline: Expected to arrive in 10–15 million years

🧩 Mystery: Still not fully understood — scientists say it’s one of the most puzzling features of North American geology

While there's no imminent danger, the anomaly reshapes what scientists know about the region’s deep geologic history — and its future.