Neutrinos from Deep Inside Earth Provide a New Picture of the Mantle

Scientists are using underground neutrino detectors, including the SNO+ experiment in Canada and the JUNO facility in China, to detect geoneutrinos—elusive particles produced by radioactive elements deep within Earth's mantle. These detections are providing unprecedented insights into the radioactive elements that power Earth's tectonic heat engine and the composition of previously inaccessible regions beneath the surface. The extreme sensitivity of these experiments requires them to be buried kilometers underground and shielded from cosmic radiation to detect these ghostlike particles.