DIGIVESTASI - A very large ocean has been discovered. According to detikTravel, several scientists from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois have discovered an underground ocean located about 700 km below the earth's surface.

This groundwater source is considered very large. In fact, its area is estimated to be three times larger than all the oceans on Earth. This discovery happened when scientists were looking for water sources on Earth. They found an ocean hidden deep in the Earth's mantle. 

The vast ocean is surrounded by a blue rock called ringwoodite. This hidden ocean will change humanity's understanding of the origin of water on Earth. 

The size of this hidden ocean could lead to a reassessment of the Earth's water cycle, and if this is proven, it will spread the science that the water in the Earth's oceans comes from water inside the Earth. 

"This is important evidence supporting the idea that water on Earth comes from deep within the Earth," said Northwestern University researcher Stephen Jacobsen who led the study, Tuesday (9/4/2024). 

Discovering the existence of this underground ocean required the construction of a vast network of 2,000 seismometers across the United States. These instruments systematically analyze seismic waves generated by more than 500 earthquakes. 

As waves propagate deep inside the earth, including the core, they slow down as they hit wet rocks. This also suggests the presence of a large reservoir. 

Jacobsen went on to explain the importance of holding water inside the earth, i.e. keeping it below the earth's surface, otherwise there would be so much water on the earth's surface that the current plains would be waterlogged. 

With this groundbreaking discovery, researchers around the world aim to collect more seismic data to ascertain the frequency of melting of the earth's mantle. Their discovery promises to revolutionize our understanding of the water cycle on earth and provide a new perspective on one of the fundamental processes on earth.

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