Water thrice the volume of all oceans found in earth's mantle, says study
The enormous ocean is ensconced within the Earth’s mantle, over 700 kilometres below the surface.
A massive reservoir of water estimated to be holding triple the volume of all water on earth's surface oceans has been discovered by scientists from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The water reservoir has been found some 700 km below the earth's surface.Scientists made the discovery in their bid to understand the origins of earth's water.
The enormous ocean is ensconced within the Earth’s mantle, over 700 kilometres below the surface. The ocean lies concealed within a blue rock known as ringwoodite.
The latest discovery has challenged our knowledge about where earth’s water came from. One theory believes that water came to earth through comet impacts. However, the latest discovery gives wind to a new theory that earth’s oceans may have slowly seeped out from its core.
“This is substantial evidence that water on Earth came from within,” shared Steven Jacobsen, a researcher at Northwestern University in Illinois and the lead author of the study.
Jacobsen highlighted that if the reservoir was not there and all this water came to the surface, the only visible land may be the peaks of mountains.
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How the discovery was made
In their study, researchers took the help of an array of 2000 seismographs across the United States
They anlaysed seismic waves from more than 500 earthquakes. Scientists have assumed the presence of this enormous water reservoir as waves which travel through Earth’s inner layers, including its core, slow down when passing through wet rock.
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Impact on earth's water cycle theory
The latest discovery, showing the possibility of massive water presence in the earth's mantle, may change our understanding of the earth's water cycle.
Scientists are now interested in studying more seismic data from around the world to determine if this mantle melting is a common occurrence.
(With inputs from news agencies)
