Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Huge Reservoir Discovered Beneath Asia

Posted by samzenpus on from the city-of-R'lyeh dept.

anthemaniac writes "Seismic observations reveal a huge reservoir of water in Earth's mantle beneath Asia. It's actually rock saturated with water, but it's an ocean's worth of water ... as much as is in the whole Arctic Ocean. How did it get there? A slab of water-laden crust sank, and the water evaporated out when it was heated, and then it was trapped, the thinking goes. The discovery fits neatly with the region's heavy seismic activity and fits neatly with the idea that the planet's moving crustal plates are lubricated with water."

2 of 273 comments (clear)

  1. Agricultural use by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    It has already been speculated by many that if Asia (well China in particular) gets its shit together it can wipe the world as a commodity agricultural producer (just like it has as a manufacturer). Water is a huge constraint to massive agricultural output. If they have a huge amount of water available, they're all go!

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
  2. Re:the creationsists will say... by flynt · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    "Science" is easy when you've already stated your conclusion, and then you look for evidence to support it.

    Common question and answer on CNN lately with the James Cameron documentary:

    Question to some god fanatic: Is there any evidence that anyone could show you to convince you Jesus wasn't a god?

    A: No.

    There it is in a terrible little nutshell.