Huge underground ocean discovered

[Ace Pace]

Linky

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.”

[Darth Wong]

You just know that the creationist idiots will misinterpret a large region of rock with a higher water content as an actual underground ocean, and claim that the Biblical description of the mythical Great Flood from the "waters of the deep" has been proven correct.

[Invictus ChiKen]

I for one welcome our new subterranian aquatic overlords!

Now then. I wonder what kinda of life is in that water. Wonder if there is anything shark or whale sized...

Plus how would it taste in tartar sauce.

[Lord Zentei]

You just know that the creationist idiots will misinterpret a large region of rock with a higher water content as an actual underground ocean, and claim that the Biblical description of the mythical Great Flood from the "waters of the deep" has been proven correct.

Shoot, took the words out of my mouth.


Still, awesome find.

[Invictus ChiKen]

You just know that the creationist idiots will misinterpret a large region of rock with a higher water content as an actual underground ocean, and claim that the Biblical description of the mythical Great Flood from the "waters of the deep" has been proven correct.

Not to mention the ones of us that should know better...

[SirNitram]

Truly fascinating.

Now what will rock is if anything is alive down there.

4. Life turns up everywhere it can.
5. Life turns up everywhere it can't.

[Howedar]

If an article can't get the name of a university correctly, I hesitate to use it as a first-order source of some new scientific find.

[Darth Servo]

You just know that the creationist idiots will misinterpret a large region of rock with a higher water content as an actual underground ocean, and claim that the Biblical description of the mythical Great Flood from the "waters of the deep" has been proven correct.

While completely ignoring the fact that even if it were 100% water, it wouldn't be enough for a global flood.

[Superman]

While completely ignoring the fact that even if it were 100% water, it wouldn't be enough for a global flood.

Personally, I take this as evidence for Aquaman. The planet's oceans just seemed a bit to small for such a powerful man of the sea. This new body of water fulfills the needed water nicely.

[Enforcer Talen]

Journey to the Center of the Earth was correct.

Down there, we shall find the dinosaurs!

[Lagmonster]

It bears repeating that this isn't a resevoir in a cave; it's rock with a higher water content. Less a puddle than a soaked sponge, as it were.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Regardless, there will likely be a whole separate biosphere down there on the microbial level. If there's any place life can prosper, it's guaranteed to be bacterial.

[wautd]

Cool, but that huge crystal cave they found in the documentary "The Core" is still my favorite

[KrauserKrauser]

Cool, but that huge crystal cave they found in the documentary "The Core" is still my favorite

Yeah, good thing they got that Core spinning again, that would have ruined my plans for the weekend.

So China has a big superheated mud lake beneath it? Neat, I wonder if this would make the area more or less tectonically active.

[CaptainChewbacca]

East asia is ALREADY very tectonically active. I feel I should point out that they've already found critters living down approximately that deep in DRY conditions, so finding life there is rather likely.

[Spyder]

Cool, but that huge crystal cave they found in the documentary "The Core" is still my favorite

Oh, was that about geology? I thought that was about the power of market forces.

"The core is the size of Mars, you just can't jump start something the size of a planet."

"We'll give you a lot of money."

"Oh, well ok then."

-

"You can't control the flow of information on the internet!"

"Want your bank account boosted by several orders of magnitude?"

"...right, well if you excuse I've got a few million forums in twenty different languages and a World of Warcraft account I need to hack."

[Coriolis]

The underground cave idea immediately popped into my head, but alas. Still pretty damn cool. Even better if there's life down there.

[Frank Hipper]

You just know that the creationist idiots will misinterpret a large region of rock with a higher water content as an actual underground ocean, and claim that the Biblical description of the mythical Great Flood from the "waters of the deep" has been proven correct.

This has got them quoting Exodus over at Rapture Ready as we speak.

Certainly explains where all the water went after it receded ...

[Spyder]

Certainly explains where all the water went after it receded ...

Why is it that they're willing to accept God magicking up some floodwater and then try and use rational explanation for where it went?

[General Zod]

Certainly explains where all the water went after it receded ...

Why is it that they're willing to accept God magicking up some floodwater and then try and use rational explanation for where it went?

Because they know that if they don't come up with something that at least resembles a rational explanation and leaves some room for doubt, it'll crumble their fragile view of reality?

[Spyder]

Why is it that they're willing to accept God magicking up some floodwater and then try and use rational explanation for where it went?

Because they know that if they don't come up with something that at least resembles a rational explanation and leaves some room for doubt, it'll crumble their fragile view of reality?

I'd think the inconsistency would be more dangerous then having no rationality. Now it's like the water needed to go somewhere, God couldn't just magic it away.

[General Zod]

I'd think the inconsistency would be more dangerous then having no rationality. Now it's like the water needed to go somewhere, God couldn't just magic it away.

Another way to put it, is if they can't at least point to something that vaguely looks as if it backs up their bullshit, then they won't have any choice but to admit that's all that it is.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Fundies are consistent in that they are consistently inconsistent. You'll notice that they praise the ground a scientist walks on if it helps prove some minor detail of the Bible, then they can harp on to the plebs "Here, here! Look how your secular science and reason is proving TEH LAWD's work true. Is it not amazing?".

If ever the word "hypocrite" were to be personified, it would take the form of a theologian.

[D.Turtle]

I'd think the inconsistency would be more dangerous then having no rationality. Now it's like the water needed to go somewhere, God couldn't just magic it away.

You have to remember how fundamentalist christians think:
They KNOW that what the Bible says is true. The Bible is true. This is not debatable, not negotiable, not doubtable, etc.
This results in the effect, that whenever science shows something that they can use/twist to their use, they gobble it up and claim victory.
If science finds something that creates problems with their world view it is ignored, because it can not possibly be correct.
Being inconsistent is entirely logical (from their viewpoint).

Another way to put it, is if they can't at least point to something that vaguely looks as if it backs up their bullshit, then they won't have any choice but to admit that's all that it is.

To them it is not bullshit. It is not that they know the truth and just won't admit it. They KNOW that what they believe is truth. Like you know that 2+2=4. To you there might be a difference, but to them there isn't (actually, to them 2+2=5 would be more likely than the Bible being wrong). It isn't that they know its bullshit, but just won't admit it.
While they are raised, they are constantly bombarded with the truth of the Bible, and the need to believe in Jesus. Then when they get older they invest so much into this belief, that it gets impossible to renounce it.
Case in point: My parents spent 8 years as missionaries in the Philippines, my father still works in the mission field(in administration/local ministry), while my mother works in a christian aid organization and until recently was head of the sunday school at their local church.
Do you seriously believe that after investing about 30 years of their life into church work/mission/etc they would someday agree/realize/consider that they were wrong with their belief?

[General Zod]

Do you seriously believe that after investing about 30 years of their life into church work/mission/etc they would someday agree/realize/consider that they were wrong with their belief?

If they didn't realize what they were spouting was bullshit then they wouldn't constantly point to scientific evidence corroborating their beliefs. They wouldn't have to if they honestly believed it was completely infallible.