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

Scientific discoveries continue to unveil Earth's mysteries, offering potential solutions to pressing global issues like climate change and water scarcity. A groundbreaking 2014 research paper, "Dehydration Melting at the Top of the Lower Mantle," revealed evidence of a substantial water reservoir approximately 400 miles beneath the Earth's surface. This remarkable finding centers on a rock formation known as "ringwoodite."

According to the findings, the water inside ringwoodite is neither in a liquid, solid or gas state, but rather a fourth state that can be described as "sponge-like." Geophysicist Steve Jacobsen was part of the team that made the discovery. He spoke about the miraculous finding and said, “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.” He further added, “This mineral can contain a lot of water under conditions of the deep mantle.”

This groundbreaking discovery stemmed from earthquake studies, where scientists observed unexpected shockwave patterns detected by seismometers beneath the Earth's surface. This led to the hypothesis of water presence in ringwoodite. Further calculations revealed a staggering possibility: if the rock contained just 1% water, it would imply that the amount of water beneath the Earth's surface could be three times greater than that found in the planet's oceans.

According to the research paper, the water cycle is not limited to “the water that circulates between the atmosphere, oceans and surface waters.” It goes beyond that and “deep into Earth's interior.” Jacobsen further explained, "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."

This discovery is not exclusive to recent times when a lot of surprising mysteries are unraveling themselves as a part of the planet’s studies. In a recent deep sea exploration conducted by Schmidt Ocean Institute, they found evidence of a whole new ecosystem under the sea floor occupied by worms, snails and bacteria on the East Pacific Rise off Central America.

According to Good News Network, they have found that sea species are making use of this ecosystem in addition to their regular habitat. This goosebumps-giving discovery has led to further questions and wonderment about similar ecosystems in existence, deep under the channels of the sea with several undiscovered species. It’s easy to assume that we know our planet. However, when discoveries of new ecosystems and possible water sources under the Earth’s surface come to light, it puts things in perspective that little is known and a lot more is yet to unwrap itself. In times of climate crisis and Earth’s atmospherical deterioration, new discoveries give hope for alternate ways of reviving the environment. What remains to be seen is whether we can make use of the new discoveries to better our home planet.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on October 30, 2023. It has since been updated.