Scientists Discover Hidden Sixth Ocean Beneath Earth’s Crust – Here’s Why It Matters

The enigmatic nature of Earth’s mantle continues to captivate scientists, constantly yielding new revelations. Not long ago, the academic world was astonished by the discovery of a lost continent, hidden beneath Earth’s crust for over three centuries. The latest groundbreaking discovery is an immense subterranean ocean, encapsulated within the molecular structure of a mineral called ringwoodite, situated 400 miles beneath the Earth’s surface.

How did this subterranean ocean form?
Researchers explain that ringwoodite, located deep within the Earth, has the unique capacity to store vast quantities of water due to its particular crystalline structure. This mineral acts much like a sponge, absorbing water and trapping it within its lattice.

The 2014 study “Dehydration melting at the top of the lower mantle” introduced these findings. Geophysicist Steve Jacobsen, a member of the research team, highlighted the unique properties of ringwoodite. “Ringwoodite’s crystal structure has a unique affinity for hydrogen, allowing it to trap water efficiently,” Jacobsen noted. “This discovery supports the theory of a complete Earth water cycle, which could explain the abundance of surface water that makes our planet habitable.”

These insights emerged from analyzing seismic data collected during earthquakes. Instruments detected anomalies deep beneath the Earth’s surface, which led scientists to conclude that water was integrated within the ringwoodite. The presence of just 1% water in ringwoodite suggests that there is three times more water beneath the Earth’s surface than in all of its surface oceans combined.

In addition to uncovering this subterranean ocean, the exploration also revealed a new ecosystem. This was identified by researchers using underwater robots to study volcanic crusts, adding another layer of understanding to our planet’s complex and dynamic interior.