HUGE OCEAN DISCOVERED INSIDE EARTH
Huge 'Ocean' Discovered Inside Earth
Ker Than
LiveScience Staff Writer
LiveScience.com
Fri Mar 2, 3:05 PM ET
Scientists scanning the deep interior of Earth have found evidence of a vast water reservoir beneath eastern Asia that is at least the volume of the Arctic Ocean.
The discovery marks the first time such a large body of water has found in the planet's deep mantle.
The finding, made by Michael Wysession, a seismologist at Washington State University in St. Louis, and his former graduate student Jesse Lawrence, now at the University of California, San Diego, will be detailed in a forthcoming monograph to be published by the American Geophysical Union.
Looking down deep
The pair analyzed more than 600,000 seismograms-records of waves generated by earthquakes traveling through the Earth-collected from instruments scattered around the planet.
They noticed a region beneath Asia where seismic waves appeared to dampen, or "attenuate," and also slow down slightly. "Water slows the speed of waves a little," Wysession explained. "Lots of damping and a little slowing match the predictions for water very well."
Previous predictions calculated that if a cold slab of the ocean floor were to sink thousands of miles into the Earth's mantle, the hot temperatures would cause water stored inside the rock to evaporate out.
"That is exactly what we show here," Wysession said. "Water inside the rock goes down with the sinking slab and it's quite cold, but it heats up the deeper it goes, and the rock eventually becomes unstable and loses its water."
The water then rises up into the overlying region, which becomes saturated with water [image]. "It would still look like solid rock to you," Wysession told LiveScience. "You would have to put it in the lab to find the water in it."
Although they appear solid, the composition of some ocean floor rocks is up to 15 percent water. "The water molecules are actually stuck in the mineral structure of the rock," Wysession explained. "As you heat this up, it eventually dehydrates. It's like taking clay and firing it to get all the water out."
The researchers estimate that up to 0.1 percent of the rock sinking down into the Earth's mantle in that part of the world is water, which works out to about an Arctic Ocean's worth of water.
"That's a real back of the envelope type calculation," Wysession said. "That's the best that we can do at this point."
The Beijing anomaly
Wysession has dubbed the new underground feature the "Beijing anomaly," because seismic wave attenuation was found to be highest beneath the Chinese capital city. Wysession first used the moniker during a presentation of his work at the University of Beijing.
"They thought it was very, very interesting," Wysession said. "China is under greater seismic risk than just about any country in the world, so they are very interested in seismology."
Water covers 70 percent of Earth's surface and one of its many functions is to act like a lubricant for the movement of continental plates.
"Look at our sister planet, Venus," Wysession said. "It is very hot and dry inside Venus, and Venus has no plate tectonics. All the water probably boiled off, and without water, there are no plates. The system is locked up, like a rusty Tin Man with no oil."
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So I guess grandma was wrong, I couldn't dig all the way to China. I would have to swim some too.[:p] 0 -
And this is news? [;)]
quote:"Genesis 7:11 When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, the underground waters burst forth on the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky."0 -
quote:Originally posted by Ramtinxxl
And this is news? [;)]
quote:"Genesis 7:11 When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, the underground waters burst forth on the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky."
I thought he was talkin about "ole faithful"[:D]0 -
The Chinese believe the universe is on the back of a turtle. Atleast the water was found! 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Ramtinxxl
And this is news? [;)]
quote:"Genesis 7:11 When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, the underground waters burst forth on the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky."
+10 -
It's not the only one. U.S. scientists discovered one some years back under the Antarctic icecap/crust. 0 -
So a big sinkhole could conceivably open up and swallow all of China? 0 -
ok, so....more water is just what we need right? and its 15% wet soaked in rock material.
imagine going to a diner and some day someone offers you mined earth water. they plop a rock on your plate and you suck it out. wow. im really impressed with this science.[8]0 -
Should be no surprise... let me know when they find the Lizard King Dome. 0 -
I read that article myself this morning, thought it was kinda interesting[:)] 0 -
I've heard for years that there these huge, rushing rivers underneath
the surface, so it only makes sense that there could be seas in places.0 -
Fools! it is the Great Tomb of Ghengis Khan, upon which an entire city was built to disguise it- The Forbidden City. read Xanadu.
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round :
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree ;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
But oh ! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover !
A savage place ! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover !
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced :
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail :
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean :
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war !
The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves ;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice !
A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw :
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight 'twould win me,
That with music loud and long,
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome ! those caves of ice !
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware ! Beware !
His flashing eyes, his floating hair !
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.0 -
DAMN YOU GLOBAL WARMING !!!!! 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Ramtinxxl
When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, the underground waters burst forth on the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky."
[:D] We've known it all along it takes the brainy ones a little time to figure it out on their own.[:D]
Smitty0 -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artesian_well
Fossil water or paleowater is groundwater that has remained in an aquifer for millennia. Water can rest underground in aquifers for thousands or even millions of years. When geologic changes seal the aquifer off from further "recharging," the water becomes trapped inside and then becomes known as fossil water. Radiocarbon dating has revealed that some aquifer water has been there for 40,000 years, since before the end of the last ice age.
The Ogallala and Nubian aquifers are among the most notable of fossil water reserves. Extraction of fossil water is sometimes referred to as mining because it is a non-renewable resource.0 -
so what? how does it impact me? 0 -
That was interesting to read. 0 -
Good grief slipgate. If that would happen, where would Walmart get all their product?! 0 -
Old news Arne Saknussemm discovered this a long time ago!!! 0 -
quote:Originally posted by tobefree
Old news Arne Saknussemm discovered this a long time ago!!!
Isn't he the guy that found the mushroom people at the center of the earth?
[?]
[?]
...no seriously.0 -
In other latebreaking news, scientists have reported that the body of Jimmy Hoffa was found in the vast underground sea. Film at 11.[:p] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by 11b6r
In other latebreaking news, scientists have reported that the body of Jimmy Hoffa was found in the vast underground sea. Film at 11.[:p]
He's just surfboarding down there because there is less competition form the other surf dude's. The only problem he has is that he has been down there so long, that he is still working on one of the old "long" boards, and can't get one of the newer "short" board models. No Wal-Mart's down there you know.0 -
quote:Originally posted by slipgate
So a big sinkhole could conceivably open up and swallow all of China?
Too bad it's not under Mexico, huh?0 -
So all that water I've been pumping into a gopher hole with a garden hose ended up under China, well I'll be. 0 -
You wanna bet that if they actually dig all the way down and reach it, they'll see there's plastic beer can rings floating in it?[;)] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by buschmaster
Fools! it is the Great Tomb of Ghengis Khan, upon which an entire city was built to disguise it- The Forbidden City. read Xanadu.
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round :
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree ;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
But oh ! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover !
A savage place ! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover !
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced :
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail :
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean :
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war !
The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves ;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice !
A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw :
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight 'twould win me,
That with music loud and long,
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome ! those caves of ice !
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware ! Beware !
His flashing eyes, his floating hair !
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.
RUSH!thier version of xanadu was a GREAT SONG i learned that 20 yrs ago on the guitar 13mins of pure fun to play it also,and a finger work out![8D]0
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