In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, have unveiled a vast reservoir of water hidden deep within the Earth’s mantle, surpassing the size of all the planet’s oceans combined. This remarkable finding challenges conventional theories about the origin of Earth’s water and underscores the complexity of our planet’s inner workings.
The newly uncovered subterranean ocean, located approximately 700 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface, resides within ringwoodite—a unique rock exhibiting a distinctive blue hue. Led by Steven Jacobsen, a researcher at Northwestern University, the scientific endeavor behind this revelation involved deploying a vast network of 2000 seismographs across the United States. These instruments meticulously analyzed seismic waves from over 500 earthquakes, revealing deceleration patterns indicative of damp rock deep within the Earth.
“This constitutes significant evidence supporting the notion that Earth’s water originated internally,” asserts Jacobsen, highlighting the profound implications of the discovery. The existence of this hidden ocean prompts a reevaluation of Earth’s water cycle, challenging traditional theories that attribute the planet’s water to comet impacts. Instead, the possibility of water migrating from the Earth’s core gains traction, reshaping our understanding of the planet’s geological processes.
The discovery of this expansive subterranean reservoir suggests that water may exist within the Earth’s mantle, circulating amidst rock grains—a phenomenon previously unexplored. Jacobsen emphasizes the reservoir’s critical role in maintaining water beneath the Earth’s surface, offering insights into the planet’s hydrological dynamics.
Researchers express enthusiasm about further seismic data collection worldwide, aiming to elucidate the extent of mantle melting and its implications for Earth’s water cycle. The findings from this groundbreaking study hold the potential to revolutionize our understanding of Earth’s geological processes, shedding new light on one of the planet’s fundamental mysteries.
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