Scientists have discovered a massive ocean hidden beneath the Earth’s crust containing three times more water than in the oceans on the surface. The water supply is stored in a sponge-like state in mantle rock known as ringwoodite. Geophysicist Steve Jacobsen explained that the crystal structure of ringwoodite is what allows it to attract hydrogen and trap water. Scientists were able to establish the water’s presence after studying earthquakes and discovering that seismometers were picking up shockwaves under the surface of the Earth. The discovery provides evidence for a whole-Earth water cycle and could help explain the vast amount of liquid water on Earth’s surface.
Huge Ocean of Water Found Beneath Earth’s Crust
In recent times, there has been a string of mind-boggling scientific discoveries, from a black hole pointing at Earth to a large hole found in the sun, and the rediscovery of a missing continent. Now, scientists have unearthed a massive ocean, hidden deep below the Earth’s surface.
According to a scientific paper published in 2014, scientists discovered that water is stored in mantle rock in a sponge-like state, which is a fourth state of matter that isn’t liquid, solid or gas. This discovery led to the revelation of a large water supply stored in rock, known as ringwoodite, located 400 miles beneath the Earth’s crust.
Geophysicist Steve Jacobsen, who was part of the team that made the discovery, explained that “there is something very special about the crystal structure of ringwoodite that allows it to attract hydrogen and trap water.” He further stated that “this mineral can contain a lot of water under conditions of the deep mantle.”
The team discovered that if the rock contained just 1% water, it would mean that there is three times more water beneath the Earth’s surface than there is on the surface in the oceans. The discovery could help explain the vast amount of liquid water on Earth’s surface and provide evidence for a whole-Earth water cycle, which scientists have been searching for over the years.
Scientists made the discovery after studying earthquakes and finding that seismometers were picking up shockwaves under the Earth’s surface. Further analysis revealed that the shockwaves were caused by water being held in the rock known as ringwoodite.
This latest discovery adds to the recent list of astonishing scientific revelations and is evidence of how much more we still have to learn about our planet.
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