Scientists have discovered evidence supporting the existence of a large amount of water hidden deep within the Earth’s mantle, approximately 700 kilometers below the surface. This finding, made by researchers in Brazil and Botswana over the past decade, suggests that minerals like ringwoodite could be storing water in the form of hydroxide ions under extreme pressure.
In 2009, Dr. Graham Pearson found ringwoodite in a stone recovered from between 410-660 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface in Brazil. The mineral had been observed before in meteorites but was first discovered in Earth’s mantle. This finding showed that water could be trapped deep inside the Earth, far below the oceans and the surface.
A decade later, scientists in Botswana made another remarkable discovery that seemed to confirm Pearson’s original findings. In 2022, a stone containing similar traces of ringwoodite was analyzed by mineral physicist Tingting Gu at the Gemological Institute of America in New York.
The Earth’s transition zone, located between 410-660 kilometers deep, could potentially house an amount of water equivalent to or even greater than all of the Earth’s oceans. However, this water is not in liquid form, nor is it frozen as ice; instead, it is locked away in minerals like ringwoodite.
This revelation has caused a stir in the scientific community, forcing experts to rethink long-held assumptions about the Earth’s water systems. The origin and role of this hidden water are still unknown, but it could be connected to a deep-water cycle that plays a crucial role in the planet’s functioning.
The discovery also has implications for plate tectonics, with the water trapped in the Earth’s mantle potentially influencing tectonic plate behavior, including volcanic activity and earthquake dynamics. Further research into ringwoodite and its role in the Earth’s structure will be necessary to fully understand this phenomenon.
Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/07/water-trapped-in-earths-mantle