Massive 'ocean' discovered towards Earth's core

[SlyPokerDog]

A reservoir of water three times the volume of all the oceans has been discovered deep beneath the Earth's surface. The finding could help explain where Earth's seas came from.

The water is hidden inside a blue rock called ringwoodite that lies 700 kilometres underground in the mantle, the layer of hot rock between Earth's surface and its core.

The huge size of the reservoir throws new light on the origin of Earth's water. Some geologists think water arrived in comets as they struck the planet, but the new discovery supports an alternative idea that the oceans gradually oozed out of the interior of the early Earth.

"It's good evidence the Earth's water came from within," says Steven Jacobsen of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The hidden water could also act as a buffer for the oceans on the surface, explaining why they have stayed the same size for millions of years.

http://www.newscientist.com/article...covered-towards-earths-core.html#.U5qMdrHGhVI

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Millions? Were they there? I think they mean 6000 years.

#KenHam

 

[jlprk]

Big disappointment. I missed this movie.

[video=youtube;FwQk7Sn_cwk]

 

[barfo]

The water is hidden inside a blue rock called ringwoodite that lies 700 kilometres underground in the mantle, the layer of hot rock between Earth's surface and its core.

The blue rock is guarded by a Troll known as Dinferbane, who wields an ax that has slain so many that the bones form a wall 100 feet high in front of the rock. To approach the rock, you must travel a maze of twisty passages, all alike...

barfo

 

[jlprk]

"It's good evidence the Earth's water came from within," says Steven Jacobsen of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Secondary, dumbed-down conclusion. The real significance is that moving liquid inside a planet creates a magnetic field, which protects the evolution of life from incoming radiation.

 

[MarAzul]

A reservoir of water three times the volume of all the oceans has been discovered deep beneath the Earth's surface. The finding could help explain where Earth's seas came from.

The water is hidden inside a blue rock called ringwoodite that lies 700 kilometres underground in the mantle, the layer of hot rock between Earth's surface and its core.

The huge size of the reservoir throws new light on the origin of Earth's water. Some geologists think water arrived in comets as they struck the planet, but the new discovery supports an alternative idea that the oceans gradually oozed out of the interior of the early Earth.

"It's good evidence the Earth's water came from within," says Steven Jacobsen of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The hidden water could also act as a buffer for the oceans on the surface, explaining why they have stayed the same size for millions of years.

http://www.newscientist.com/article...covered-towards-earths-core.html#.U5qMdrHGhVI

I have difficulty picturing how this works with the subduction zones returning ocean floor to the magma layer and recycling it and the magma coming to the surface in other areas, generating new mantle. Is it pockets of the this water rock in between the subduction zones and the volcanic activity? Perhaps more information later, heh?

 

[jlprk]

You don't fool me. Anyone can look up a big word like seduction.

 

[Haakzilla]

I have difficulty picturing how this works with the subduction zones returning ocean floor to the magma layer and recycling it and the magma coming to the surface in other areas, generating new mantle. Is it pockets of the this water rock in between the subduction zones and the volcanic activity? Perhaps more information later, heh?

700km > 100km

...this water is 600km below these subduction zones you speak of, FWIW

 

[Haakzilla]

Big disappointment. I missed this movie.

...where there is smoke, there is fire

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

METRIC SYSTEM IS TEH GHEY.

 

[Haakzilla]

...maybe "Hallow Earth" is real after all

 

[Denny Crane]

http://sportstwo.com/threads/197838-Water-in-the-Earth-s-oceans-may-have-come-from-comets

 

[Eastoff]

http://sportstwo.com/threads/197838-Water-in-the-Earth-s-oceans-may-have-come-from-comets

the comets hit so hard, they drove the water underground!!

 

[Denny Crane]

The scientists I've seen explain it say that the earth was a ball of molten rock for a few hundred million years early on. Then there was some massive bombardment of the inner solar system by comets with ice that brought water. And now there is no massive bombardment because things stabilized or whatever.

I never quite believed this theory. If water is everywhere as they claim, in every comet and asteroid, then the water was everywhere when the earth formed. All the rocks that made up the earth via accretion would contain water. Instead of a hot dry molten ball of rock, I picture a very steamy atmosphere around it, since the water was always here and would have been heated.

I mean, why does it make sense that the earth would be formed from only space rocks that had no water?

 

[crandc]

I got curious enough to read the original report here.

 

[Further]

This is freaky awesome!

I can't wait till I have more time to read up on this. It just seems so near impossible, I don't trust this one report, but perhaps after reading more I'll come around. Rep OP.

 

[BlazerWookee]

I'm totally going.

Anyone have a shovel? Preferably one with a long handle?

 

[crandc]

Your shovel better be heatproof. The Soviet Union/Russia spent over 20 years trying to drill into the mantle and the drills kept melting.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Your shovel better be heatproof. The Soviet Union/Russia spent over 20 years trying to drill into the mantle and the drills kept melting.

Really? How far down did they get?

 

[Further]

Really? How far down did they get?

40 feet













stupid ruskies

 

[jlprk]

The scientists I've seen explain it say that the earth was a ball of molten rock for a few hundred million years early on. Then there was some massive bombardment of the inner solar system by comets with ice that brought water. And now there is no massive bombardment because things stabilized or whatever.

I never quite believed this theory. If water is everywhere as they claim, in every comet and asteroid, then the water was everywhere when the earth formed. All the rocks that made up the earth via accretion would contain water. Instead of a hot dry molten ball of rock, I picture a very steamy atmosphere around it, since the water was always here and would have been heated.

I mean, why does it make sense that the earth would be formed from only space rocks that had no water?

Because it rained later. Use your common sense.

You don't think like an Oregonian.

 

[Denny Crane]

Because it rained later. Use your common sense.

It's raining on your house. Just your house.

 

[jlprk]

Actually it rained all night. But I outsmarted it. I cut the lawn yesterday, just in time.

 

[crandc]

About 12 meters below ocean.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Clearly its the river styx, and the core is hell. Probably hotter.

 

[BlazerWookee]

About 12 meters below ocean.

Meters. or kilometers?

 

[crandc]

Kilometers, sorry.