Scientists discover massive source of water supply 400 miles underground after searching for decades

Water scarcity is a global concern, and despite awareness, we take it for granted. In fact, UNICEF has estimated that 4 million people, i.e., nearly two-thirds of the world's population, experience severe water scarcity for at least a month every year. They also found that by 2040, approximately one in four kids will be forced to survive in water-deficient areas. Amidst growing concern, a groundbreaking research paper, "Dehydration Melting at the Top of the Lower Mantle," has apparently found evidence of a substantial water reservoir, nearly 400 miles beneath the Earth's surface.

Notably, the water is trapped within a special rock, ringwoodite, and according to the findings, it isn't one of the three states of matter, but rather a fourth state that can be described as sponge-like. "The ringwoodite is like a sponge, soaking up water. There is something very special about the crystal structure of ringwoodite that allows it to attract hydrogen and trap water. This mineral can contain a lot of water under conditions of the deep mantle," Geo physicist Steve Jacobsen, a key contributor to the discovery, said. But how did the scientists lead to this discovery? Well, it stemmed from earthquake studies where they observed unusual shockwave patterns beneath the Earth's surface. One thing led to the other, and finally, the hypothesis of water presence in ringwoodite was established. Further investigation and calculation revealed a possibility: If the rock contained just 1% water, that means the amount of water beneath the Earth's surface could be three times greater than that found in the planet's oceans.

"I think we are finally seeing evidence for a whole-Earth water cycle, which may help explain the vast amount of liquid water on the surface of our habitable planet. Scientists have been looking for this missing deep water for decades," Jacobsen added. The study was possible with the combined efforts of Jacobsen and Brandon Schmandt. While Jacobsen ran lab experiments simulating deep-Earth conditions using special equipment, Schmandt studied the earthquake data (seismic waves) to investigate the structure of the deep crust and mantle. Both were convinced that some rock is melting deep underground, and that water is likely the cause. "Melting of rock at this depth is remarkable because most melting in the mantle occurs much shallower, in the upper 50 miles. If there is a substantial amount of H2O in the transition zone, then some melting should take place in areas where there is flow into the lower mantle, and that is consistent with what we found, " said Schmandt, a co-author of the paper. For decades, scientists suspected the presence of a hidden water reservoir, but not until this research did they have any evidence to support their notion.

Today, unfortunately, over two billion people live in countries where the water supply is inadequate. Besides, UNICEF has predicted that 50% of the global population could be living in areas facing water scarcity by as early as 2025, and some 700 million people could be displaced by intense water in another 5 years. In such an alarming situation, this groundbreaking research has given some hope for a better future. 

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