Episode Details

Scientists have recognized since the 1970s that there are two large, mysterious blobs in the deepest part of Earth's mantle. 

自 20 世纪 70 年代以来，科学家们已经认识到，在地幔最深处有两个巨大的神秘斑点。 

One of the masses is under Africa and the other under the South Pacific Ocean. 

其中一处位于非洲下方，另一处位于南太平洋下方。 

Recent research suggests these masses, which are denser than the material surrounding them, might be from a huge crash early in our planet's history. 

最近的研究表明，这些比周围物质密度更大的质量可能来自地球历史早期的一次巨大碰撞。 

Researchers recently said the crash between Earth and a Mars-sized object called Theia might have created the moon. 

研究人员最近表示，地球与火星大小的忒伊亚天体之间的碰撞可能创造了月球。

Recent research suggests the event happened more than 4.46 billion years ago. Pieces of Theia, however, might have remained inside Earth, sinking to an area just above our planet's hot core of iron and nickel. 

最近的研究表明，这一事件发生在 44.6 亿年前。然而，忒伊亚的碎片可能仍留在地球内部，沉入地球由铁和镍组成的炽热核心上方的区域。 

Researchers created computer simulations to study their theory of the event. Based on these simulations, they proposed that most of Theia was absorbed into Earth, forming the two masses, while the remaining pieces formed the moon.

研究人员创建了计算机模拟来研究他们对该事件的理论。根据这些模拟，他们提出，忒伊亚的大部分被地球吸收，形成了两个质量块，而其余的碎片则形成了月球。

Qian Yuan is a geophysicist at Caltech and the lead writer of the study that was published recently in Nature. 

钱源是加州理工学院的地球物理学家，也是最近发表在《自然》杂志