At https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/06/jules-verne-was-right-scientists-discovered-a-vast-ocean-within-earths-core/ … a hidden world beneath our feet. Untapped resources of water locked deep inside Earth’s mantle. It seems scientists are discovering that the mainstream, and long standing idea on how Earth is made up, is coming apart at the seams. In 2009 geologists in Brazil found a huge water reservoir at a depth of 410 to 660 kilometres. It came about via ‘ringwoodite‘, a mineral that contains water trapped in the form of hydroxil ions. The finding was not anticipated. The mineral, kinown from meteorites, had never been observed on Earth – until that moment. As more studies were carried, including the discovery of ringwoodite in Botswana, it became clear the Mantle may contain a lot of potential water – but not in a liquid format. It is estimated, now, there is as much water in the mantle as there is in all the oceans on the surface. It exists within ringwoodite – which exists under extreme pressure. Geologists, or some of them, began to wonder if Earth’s water cycle has its origins in ringwoodite – rather than arriving on Earth via meteor bombardment over millions of years.
This raises further questions. What role does water play in Plate Tectonics? We might also note the water inside the Earth could be used in support of the alternative idea of an expanding earth – brought to the surface as a liquid. What might cause that? What could activate such a geological process?
There is also another discovery that has caused a stir in geological circles. A long submerged island in the South Atlantic. It is known as the Rio Grande Rise and it is packed with rare earth minerals in a region that belongs to nobody – mid ocean. It came into being way back, when the southern Atlantic ocean opened up. What then was its relationship to the Mid Ocean Ridge running down the spine of the Atlantic? More recetnly, during the Cretaceous period, volcanoes on the Rise were very active – as I suppose were a lot of volcanoes elsewhere. It’s not everyday the Earth is slapped by an asteroid.
It seems the Rio Grande Rise and its neighbouring Walvis Ridge system in the South Atlantic ocean have long been understood to have been formed by volcanes – or tectonic upheavals of some kind. A mantle hot spot is the favourite ruse to account for the volcanism. No better idea was dreamt up to replace it. Now they may have to do some digging. Researchers from the University of |Houston have revealed the theory is just too pert. The origins are more complex.
Meanwhile, at https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/06/after-five-decades-scientists-solve-the-strange-zone-deep-inside-earth-finally-explained …. a strange zone inside the Earth – 2700 km below the surfae. The so called D layer. The idea now is that lumps of solid rock at the bottom of the mantle are what accelerates seismic waves.
Stay posted as even this has been overtaken by another idea.