Scientists from the Chinese mainland have uncovered a crucial mechanism explaining how Earth may have stored vast quantities of water in its infancy, shedding new light on the planet’s dramatic evolution from a fiery ball of magma to the life-nurturing world we inhabit today.
The research, led by the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, experimentally demonstrated that Earth’s deep mantle could have acted as a massive reservoir for water more than 4 billion years ago. The study was published today in the journal Science.
By simulating pressures exceeding 130 gigapascals—equivalent to conditions 500 to 700 kilometers beneath the surface—the team showed that mantle minerals can store water at concentrations up to 1 percent by weight. Lead researcher Liu at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry explains that these experiments bridge a critical gap in our understanding of the early water cycle. The results point to a hidden reservoir that buffered surface water loss and helped stabilize Earth’s climate.
These insights reshape how we view Earth’s formative years and the dynamic exchange between its interior and surface. A deep-water reservoir could explain why oceans appeared so quickly after the planet cooled, setting the stage for life to emerge. The discovery also influences the search for habitable exoplanets: worlds with similar deep-mantle water storage might sustain surface oceans long enough for biology to take hold.
As we continue probing Earth’s inner workings, this study marks a milestone in geoscience, reminding us that our planet’s history is written not just on its surface but deep within its core.
Reference(s):
Chinese scientists reveal how deep mantle water made Earth habitable
cgtn.com
