There is a gigantic ocean hidden beneath the Earth’s mantle! Although it sounds absurd, scientists’ claim in this regard has stunned the global community. Researchers from the Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, the US, recently claimed that there is a huge water reservoir below the Earth’s surface that is hidden in a blue mineral.

Water crisis is one of the biggest global issues right now. Many believe that the water crisis may trigger the Third World War, as about two-thirds of the total global population suffers from severe water scarcity for at least a month every year! In such a situation, the discovery of the vast ocean under the surface has undoubtedly aroused curiosity among many. However, there is doubt as to how usable this sea water is. According to researchers, this ocean is situated about 700km below the Earth’s surface.

There is also curiosity about the size of this ocean. Researchers are of the opinion that the newly discovered ocean is three times the size of all the five oceans (the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and the Southern Antarctic) combined! Lead Researcher Steven Jacobsen has reportedly said: “This shows strong proof that the Earth’s water came from inside the planet.” While investigating the origins of Earth’s water, researchers have uncovered the concealed ocean hidden within a mineral, called Ringwoodite. Jacobsen has explained that ringwoodite is like a sponge with a very high water-holding capacity. According to the lead researcher, the structure of this mineral is quite strange and the secret of the water-holding capacity is hidden in its structure itself! The arrangement of this mineral’s atoms attracts hydrogen. Hence, ringwoodite can retain excess water.

Researchers have found the ocean using 2,000 seismographs placed all over the US. They thoroughly analysed seismic waves from 500 earthquakes to reach the conclusion that when these waves travel through the inside of the Earth, like the core, the waves slow down. It shows that there is water in the rocks below. It is through this analysis that researchers have discovered the gigantic ocean beneath the Earth’s mantle.

There are many theories about how the oceans formed. The most discussed of them is the Melted Comets Theory according to which water on our surface came from melted comets. However, the latest discovery of an ocean hidden in ringwoodites has created doubt about the authenticity of Melted Comets Theory. Researchers have claimed that the newly discovered ocean is the source of all sea water in the world, stressing that the Earth holds water within itself.

According to researchers, if the newly discovered ocean somehow rises to the surface, then the entire world would be flooded. Although some mountains, including Mount Everest, would remain above the water level, all other places would submerge under water. Once again, they have claimed that the secret of the newly discovered ocean is hidden in ringwoodite. The process of attracting hydrogen had begun at some point in the creation of the Earth, and that process is still ongoing.

It may be noted that a study carried out by a group of Canadian researchers in 2014 hinted at the existence of such a vast reservoir of water beneath the Earth’s mantle. They were studying a diamond that had come out of the volcano. At that time, the Canadian researchers found ringwoodite. However, they could not confirm whether the mineral had a very high water-holding capacity. The new discovery has revealed this fact.

Boundless Ocean of Politics on Facebook

Boundless Ocean of Politics on Twitter

Boundless Ocean of Politics on Linkedin

Contact: kousdas@gmail.com

Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das