Produced by: Manoj Kumar
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It’s not science fiction: scientists have found evidence of a massive water reservoir 700 km underground—possibly holding more water than all Earth’s oceans combined.
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In 2009, a rare mineral called ringwoodite was found in Brazil’s mantle rock. It held water—proving H₂O exists deep beneath our planet’s surface in a totally new form.
A decade later, researchers in Botswana discovered a similar stone. This second strike confirmed that ringwoodite—and its hidden water—isn’t just a one-off fluke.
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Ringwoodite doesn’t hold water like a puddle—it bonds with it at a molecular level. Under crushing pressure, it acts like a sponge storing hydroxide ions deep inside the Earth.
There’s no underground lake sloshing beneath us—but the amount of water stored inside these deep-Earth minerals may equal or exceed that of all known oceans.
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Water trapped in the Earth’s mantle might not just sit there—it could be a silent force influencing earthquakes, volcanoes, and how tectonic plates shift and slide.
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This could revolutionize our understanding of Earth’s water cycle. If water moves between the surface and deep mantle, it reshapes everything from climate to continental drift.
The transition zone—between 410 and 660 km down—is turning out to be a planetary vault. And ringwoodite might be the key to unlocking how water got there in the first place.
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Not a drop we can drink, not a sea we can swim—but this hidden ocean beneath our feet could be vital to how Earth works, breathes, and evolves.
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