In a groundbreaking geological discovery, scientists have identified a massive underground water reservoir hidden 700 kilometers beneath Earth's surface, locked within a mineral called ringwoodite. This rock, found deep in the Earth’s mantle, holds water in a unique form—not as liquid, ice, or vapor, but as molecularly trapped hydroxide ions within its crystal structure. Using seismic wave analysis, researchers revealed that this deep-Earth layer may contain three times more water than all the planet's surface oceans combined.
This revelation could dramatically reshape our understanding of Earth’s deep water cycle, tectonic plate behavior, and even volcanic activity. The discovery also suggests that Earth’s interior plays a far more active role in regulating surface water and long-term climate than previously thought. Far from being a dry rock shell, the mantle may be part of a dynamic, hidden ocean system beneath our feet.
#EarthScience #UndergroundWater #MantleDiscovery #Ringwoodite #HiddenOceans
This revelation could dramatically reshape our understanding of Earth’s deep water cycle, tectonic plate behavior, and even volcanic activity. The discovery also suggests that Earth’s interior plays a far more active role in regulating surface water and long-term climate than previously thought. Far from being a dry rock shell, the mantle may be part of a dynamic, hidden ocean system beneath our feet.
#EarthScience #UndergroundWater #MantleDiscovery #Ringwoodite #HiddenOceans
In a groundbreaking geological discovery, scientists have identified a massive underground water reservoir hidden 700 kilometers beneath Earth's surface, locked within a mineral called ringwoodite. This rock, found deep in the Earth’s mantle, holds water in a unique form—not as liquid, ice, or vapor, but as molecularly trapped hydroxide ions within its crystal structure. Using seismic wave analysis, researchers revealed that this deep-Earth layer may contain three times more water than all the planet's surface oceans combined.
This revelation could dramatically reshape our understanding of Earth’s deep water cycle, tectonic plate behavior, and even volcanic activity. The discovery also suggests that Earth’s interior plays a far more active role in regulating surface water and long-term climate than previously thought. Far from being a dry rock shell, the mantle may be part of a dynamic, hidden ocean system beneath our feet.
#EarthScience #UndergroundWater #MantleDiscovery #Ringwoodite #HiddenOceans
