Shafaqna Science: Scientists have discovered a vast ocean hidden beneath the Earth’s crust, stored in a rock called “ringwoodite” about 400 miles below the surface. This water is held in a unique, sponge-like state — not solid, liquid, or gas, but a novel fourth state.
Geophysicist Steve Jacobsen, part of the discovery team, explained that ringwoodite’s crystal structure allows it to absorb hydrogen and trap water, potentially supporting a whole-Earth water cycle. This finding could help explain the abundance of liquid water on our planet’s surface, a mystery scientists have been investigating for decades.
The discovery was made while studying earthquakes; seismometers detected shockwaves that revealed water within the deep mantle rock. If ringwoodite contains just 1% water, it could mean there is three times more water beneath the Earth’s surface than in its oceans.
In a related discovery, scientists also found a new ecosystem while exploring volcanic crust with an underwater robot.