How scientists discovered proof of the existence of the 6th world ocean by studying a diamond – Technology News, Firstpost

FP staff04 Oct 2022 10:57:34 IST

Until now, we were taught that there are 5 oceans on our planet – Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, Southern and the largest of them – the Pacific. Scientists have now discovered evidence of the existence of a 6th ocean deep inside the Earth’s surface, between the upper and lower mantle. How exactly did they do it? Investigating a recently mined diamond.

The diamond in question formed about 660 km below the earth’s surface, confirming the long-held hypothesis that oceanic water accompanies subducting plates and thus enters the transition zone. New findings show that the Earth’s water cycle includes the Earth’s interior. The diamond was found in Botswana.

A rough diamond from Botswana that helped scientists make a discovery. | Image credit: Science News

A group of scientists from Germany, Italy and the United States analyzed the diamond and found that it formed at a depth of 660 km below the surface of the planet at the boundary between the transition zone and the lower mantle. Further analysis of the diamond using Raman spectroscopy and FTIR spectrometry revealed that the diamond has traces of a rare mineral called ringwoodite. Ringwoodite is only found in areas with high water content.

A study by a German-Italian-American research team was published in the journal Nature, which said that the Earth’s internal structure and dynamics were shaped by the 660-kilometer boundary between the mantle transition zone and the lower mantle.

A diagram of the various layers that make up the center of the Earth. It is assumed that the new ocean will be located between the upper and lower mantle. | Image credit: Wiki Commons

The information shows that the transition zone (TZ), the layer that separates the Earth’s upper and lower mantle, contains water. The barrier is located at a depth of 410 to 660 kilometers below the surface. The barrier is located approximately 410 and 660 kilometers below the surface.