Scientists have discovered evidence suggesting there could be a vast ocean hidden deep beneath the Earth’s surface. This astonishing possibility challenges traditional beliefs about our planet’s inner structure. Two separate teams, working in Brazil and Botswana, found minerals that indicate water may be stored in the Earth’s mantle rocks.
In 2009, Dr. Graham Pearson’s team from the University of Alberta discovered ringwoodite in Brazil at depths between 410 and 660 km. This hydrated mineral had previously only been seen in meteorites.
In 2022, mineral physicist Tingting Gu from the Gemological Institute of America made a similar breakthrough in Botswana. She found another stone containing natural ringwoodite, reinforcing the hypothesis that water exists deep within the Earth’s mantle.
Hidden ocean beneath Earth’s surface
These findings suggest the Earth’s transition zone, located between 410 and 660 km deep, may contain a volume of water comparable to one or more surface oceans. However, this water is not in liquid form but trapped within minerals like ringwoodite as OH- ions under high pressure. Dr.
Tingting Gu believes this underground ocean could play a crucial role in a deep water cycle essential for our planet’s functioning. Dr. Graham Pearson agrees, suggesting that this trapped water may significantly impact plate tectonics. The discoveries raise numerous questions about the origin of this deep water and its precise role in Earth’s hydrosystem.
Answering these questions will require years of intensive study. These groundbreaking findings revitalize scientific curiosity about Earth’s inner workings. They present a fascinating new perspective on our planet’s structure and dynamics that would have undoubtedly captivated Jules Verne, author of the classic novel “Journey to the Centre of the Earth,” if he were alive today.
