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Diamond Suggests Presence of Water Deep Within Earth

Posted by samzenpus on from the deep-water dept.

sciencehabit writes "A 40 micrometer crystal trapped inside a diamond unearthed by magma in Brazil could help settle a long-standing debate about the amount of water in Earth's mantle. Spectroscopic analysis reveal that the crystal contains hydrogen-oxygen bonds, which suggests it's composed of at least 1.4% water. The place where the diamond was produced--Earth's lower mantle--may not be typical of the entire lower mantle, but if it is then there could be a lot of water down there. This would be important, as changes in the temperature in the mantle could cause it to expel highly pressurized steam, which could lead to volcanic eruptions."

8 of 48 comments (clear)

  1. A better article by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://uk.news.yahoo.com/earth-secret-reservoir-water-scientists-191039455.html

    Hans Keppler, a geologist at the University of Bayreuth in Germany, cautioned against extrapolating the size of the subterranean water find from a single sample of ringwoodite.

    And he also said

    "In some ways it is an ocean in Earth's interior, as visualised by Jules Verne... although not in the form of liquid water," Keppler said in a commentary also published by Nature.

    Ain't nothing swimming around down there.

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    1. Re:A better article by alexborges · · Score: 2, Funny

      I have one word for your feeble heart, infidel: Cthulhu.

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    2. Re:A better article by AlphaWolf_HK · · Score: 3, Funny

      "This sample really provides extremely strong confirmation that there are local wet spots deep in the Earth in this area,"

      Did they have to roll it around in flour to find out? Just wondering.

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  2. This should be amusing. by SuricouRaven · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is really obscure - it might take a couple of months, but I predict that this is at some point going to be noticed by creationists who will then read the summary (not the paper of course, just the summary) and proudly declare that this is where the water from the great flood disappeared to.

    1. Re:This should be amusing. by Sockatume · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It gets worse; the Guardian's comments are full of people sneering about how we are going to destroy this precious natural water resource now we know it's there. Part of me died inside.

      http://www.theguardian.com/sci...

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    2. Re: This should be amusing. by nucrash · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Considering how many communities live in coastal areas, I could easily logically deduce that after a great ice age, communities in this area flooded which lead to them being abandoned and left under water today. Some such communities are thought to have existed and some have even been found. A great flood doesn't have to cover the entire earth, just enough of it to affect were civilization exists.

      This is not that foreign of a concept to me. I am surprised that others seem to have a problem with it.

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  3. They have found water on Earth! by anyanka · · Score: 2

    I suggest we send a rover to check for signs of life immediately.

  4. Re:presence of water deep within earth, and more.. by king+neckbeard · · Score: 2

    Foolhardy explorers foolish enough to venture into their domain, of course.

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