Where is there more water?

2002/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Geologia

According to geological studies published by the journal Science, in the subsoil, at 1,000 kilometers, there can be five times more water than in all oceans. Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have studied the bottom of the mantle, a layer at 650 and 2,900 kilometers deep, and have announced that 0.2% of its components in weight can be water. According to geologists, this water can give us clues about the process of formation of our planet and plate tectonics.

The formation of the planets is analyzed taking into account the amount of volatile material existing in the first moments, among which are carbon dioxide and water. From the calculations of the Japanese researchers it follows that the original mixture of the Earth was not as strong as expected. On the other hand, the presence of water in the lower mantle also affects plate tectonics.

As water reduces the melting point of the rocks of the lower mantle and increases the viscosity of the medium, the mantle with abundant water will move and mix faster. This movement conducts the plates and mixes the materials, so the water of the lower mantle conditions the movement of tectonic plates. According to the researchers, water accelerates and facilitates the sinking of the plates.