A reservoir of water three times the volume of all the oceans has been discovered deep beneath the Earth's surface. The finding could help explain where Earth's seas came from.
The water is hidden inside a blue rock called ringwoodite that lies 700 kilometres underground in the mantle, the layer of hot rock between Earth's surface and its core.
Quote:
Jacobsen worked out in advance what would happen to the waves if water-containing ringwoodite was present. He grew ringwoodite in his lab, and exposed samples of it to massive pressures and temperatures matching those at 700 kilometres down.
Sure enough, they found signs of wet ringwoodite in the transition zone 700 kilometres down, which divides the upper and lower regions of the mantle. At that depth, the pressures and temperatures are just right to squeeze the water out of the ringwoodite. "It's rock with water along the boundaries between the grains, almost as if they're sweating," says Jacobsen.
__________________
Huge thanks to Dion for the signature!
looks like we found another part of earth that needs some freedom
__________________
Thank you for everything CP. Good memories and thankful for everything that has been done to help me out. I will no longer take part on these boards. Take care, Go Flames Go.
The Following 16 Users Say Thank You to PIMking For This Useful Post:
Seems like preliminary results, I'd be careful to rewrite any science just yet.
It's also unclear whether or not this makes any practical difference to humans (at least on timescales relevant to living humans).
It might not make any practical difference on Earth but it is damn interesting and might be something to look for on another planet if you are trying to find water.
__________________
Huge thanks to Dion for the signature!
I don't think this is really all that revolutionary. I think this has been largely assumed for many years. So it looks like they are starting to find the first shreds of proof that the theory was correct.
Also availability of water is not a problem on earth. Its having clean, fresh water where we need it. Its probably just as practical to desalinate and transport ocean water as it is to drill 700 feet down.
The Following User Says Thank You to #-3 For This Useful Post:
Just think of how much you could charge for bottle for deep core water? I mean you could put tap water in a bottle call it deep core water and charge $70.00 a bottle and people would buy it for the supposed health benefits.
The problem is where there's water there's life
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to CaptainCrunch For This Useful Post:
Location: In my office, at the Ministry of Awesome!
Exp:
Okay, this is a cool discovery, and it's a neat bit of science, but from a practical standpoint it doesn't mean anything. There are a few very important things to remember for anyone who thinks this is revolutionary, and will change the world, as far as our water supply goes.
1) 700 km down is so far beyond our ability to drill (the deepest hole drilled to date is ~12 km), this water might as well be on the moon. At least we've been to the moon so far.
2) Even if we could get to it, if the water is saline (not sure if it is or not), then what's the point, we might as well just desalinate ocean water
3) Water underground/in rock is nothing new. There are a huge number of aquifers all over the world (both fresh and saline) that would be FAR more practical to extract from long before we even think about this.
__________________
THE SHANTZ WILL RISE AGAIN. <-----Check the Badge bitches. You want some Awesome, you come to me!
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Bring_Back_Shantz For This Useful Post: