Nature & Environment
Earth Has Huge Ocean 620 Miles Under The Surface: If It Dries, Life Will End!
Sam D
First Posted: Nov 29, 2016 02:41 AM EST
It is a known fact that water covers 70 percent of the Earth's surface, and now researchers have found out that there is also a massive reservoir of water present inside the planet. The vast ocean of water is located 620 miles below the surface, which means water is present at a greater depth in Earth than previously believed.
Furthermore, according to Mail Online, if the enormous quantity of water dries up, then life on this planet will end. This is because the subsurface water is an important component of the geodynamic activity that causes volcanoes, subsequently generating soil and sustaining life. Incidentally, there were two different researches that found the presence of water in the extreme depths of our planet.
The first study, conducted by researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Florida State University, estimated that water exists deeper in the Earth than previously thought, and that it is stored in a mineral called brucite. At the moment, researchers do not know the exact amount of water stored in the reservoir, but they have estimated that it could account for as much as 1.5 percent of Earth's weight.
"We did not think water could be stored by hydrous minerals such as brucite at these depths," said Mainak Mookherjee, a study author. "But now that we know it is there, we need to figure out how much water could be effectively stored inside it."
A different study, conducted by scientists from Illinois' Northwestern University, has suggested that the amount of the water is much deeper than anything seen before and occupies a depth that goes a third of the way to the edge of our planet's core. The observation was based on the analysis of a diamond whose imperfection showed that it had formed in the Earth's lower mantle. Moreover, it displayed evidence of the presence of hydroxyl ions that usually come from water.
"This is the deepest evidence for water recycling on the planet," said researcher Steve Jacobsen, as reported by New Scientist. "The big take-home message is that the water cycle on Earth is bigger than we ever thought, extending into the deep mantle."
The researchers who conducted the different studies are in agreement about the crucial role played by water in sustaining geological activity under the surface of our planet. According to Dr. Mookherjee, mantle convection would eventually stop without the presence of water in the Earth's interiors. In plain terms, this means that without water, eventually volcanoes would cease to occur. Consequently, crust formation and planetary activities will cease, which does not mean well for the future of life on Earth.
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First Posted: Nov 29, 2016 02:41 AM EST
It is a known fact that water covers 70 percent of the Earth's surface, and now researchers have found out that there is also a massive reservoir of water present inside the planet. The vast ocean of water is located 620 miles below the surface, which means water is present at a greater depth in Earth than previously believed.
Furthermore, according to Mail Online, if the enormous quantity of water dries up, then life on this planet will end. This is because the subsurface water is an important component of the geodynamic activity that causes volcanoes, subsequently generating soil and sustaining life. Incidentally, there were two different researches that found the presence of water in the extreme depths of our planet.
The first study, conducted by researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Florida State University, estimated that water exists deeper in the Earth than previously thought, and that it is stored in a mineral called brucite. At the moment, researchers do not know the exact amount of water stored in the reservoir, but they have estimated that it could account for as much as 1.5 percent of Earth's weight.
"We did not think water could be stored by hydrous minerals such as brucite at these depths," said Mainak Mookherjee, a study author. "But now that we know it is there, we need to figure out how much water could be effectively stored inside it."
A different study, conducted by scientists from Illinois' Northwestern University, has suggested that the amount of the water is much deeper than anything seen before and occupies a depth that goes a third of the way to the edge of our planet's core. The observation was based on the analysis of a diamond whose imperfection showed that it had formed in the Earth's lower mantle. Moreover, it displayed evidence of the presence of hydroxyl ions that usually come from water.
"This is the deepest evidence for water recycling on the planet," said researcher Steve Jacobsen, as reported by New Scientist. "The big take-home message is that the water cycle on Earth is bigger than we ever thought, extending into the deep mantle."
The researchers who conducted the different studies are in agreement about the crucial role played by water in sustaining geological activity under the surface of our planet. According to Dr. Mookherjee, mantle convection would eventually stop without the presence of water in the Earth's interiors. In plain terms, this means that without water, eventually volcanoes would cease to occur. Consequently, crust formation and planetary activities will cease, which does not mean well for the future of life on Earth.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone