Scientists have long been seeking answer to the mystery of how planet Earth got its water. Among the popular theories is that collision with ice-rich comets brought water to our planet.
Many space missions attempt to find answer to the origins of water on Earth but findings of a new study suggest that water may have been born within Earth itself.
The research, published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters suggests that chemical reactions that occur in the mantle of the Earth may be responsible for the waters on our planet's surface.
Chemical Reactions In The Earth's Mantle May Form Pressurized Water
Study researcher John Tse, from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, and colleagues used computer simulations to study the reactions between liquid hydrogen and quartz, the most common form of silicon dioxide, in the upper mantle of Earth.
They found that these reactions could form water and the water could be under such pressure it can trigger tremors deep below the surface.
By testing the reaction under different temperatures and pressures comparable to those of the upper mantle 40 to 400 kilometers below the Earth's surface, Tse and colleagues found that at pressures 20,000 times higher than atmospheric pressure and at temperatures of about 1400 °C, reaction between silicon dioxide and liquid hydrogen forms silicon hydride and liquid water.
The simulations likewise revealed that water forms within the quartz but this can't escape, which causes pressure to build up. By analyzing the density and structure of the trapped water, researchers found that it is highly pressurized.
"The hydrogen fluid diffuses through the quartz layer, but ends up forming water not at the surface, but in the bulk of the mineral," Tse said.
Results of the simulation revealed the pressure could reach as much as 200,000 atmospheres and the water being at high pressure could potentially result in induced earthquakes as the water that escapes from the crystals may trigger tremors.
British Geological Survey executive director John Ludden said that when overpressured water forms and is released, it could be a significant trigger for ultra-deep earthquakes deep down below the Earth's surface.
Researchers, however, said that additional study is needed to quantify the amount of water that needs to be released to trigger deep earthquakes
Much Of Earth's Water May Have Formed From Within The Planet Itself
Besides showing how pressurized waters can cause deep quakes, the results of the simulation also hint how Earth may have gotten its water.
Earlier studies have found evidence of several ocean's worth of waters in rocks as far down as 1,000 kilometers which question theories that water originated from space. The new research suggests the possibility that much of the Earth's water may have come from within the planet itself.
How Water From Mantle May Have Reached Earth's Surface
Tse said that water that was formed in the mantle has several ways of reaching the surface. One is when it is carried by magma during volcanic activities.
