Deep beneath the surface of theEarth , there is a massive reservoir of weewee . It is count on to moderate three time the amount of water of all the sea on our surface .

In 2014 , a team from the US used 2,000 seismometers to study seismic waves from over 500 seism . By examining the speed of the waves at different depths , the team was able to determine what kind of rock’n’roll the waves traveled through before reaching the sensors . They found that some 700 km ( 400 miles ) below our feet in the " conversion zone " between the lower pall and the upper mantel was a rock called ringwoodite .

Ringwoodite only forms under the acute pressure level found towards the substance of our planet . Only one sample from within the Earth – it has also beenfound in meteorite – has been attain , trap insidea tiny diamond . Ringoodite contains water , not as liquified but ensnare inside the molecular construction of the minerals .

" The ringwoodite is like a poriferan , soaking up water . There is something very special about the crystal construction of ringwoodite that allows it to attract hydrogen and trap piss , " geophysicist Steve Jacobsen explicate in astatementat the time . " This mineral can contain a fate of water under conditions of the cryptic mantle . "

late experiment suggested that ringwoodite can arrest up to 1.5 percent water system , and the seismic waves detected were consistent with the rock below our feet containing H2O . The team estimated that if just 1 pct of the rock in the transition geographical zone is water , that would mean it contains three times more water than all the oceans on Earth ’s Earth’s surface . This equip with their results .

" If there is a material amount of H2O in the transition geographical zone , then some melt should take topographic point in areas where there is catamenia into the lower mantle , " seismologist Brandon Schmandt said , " and that is logical with what we found . "

Jacobsen believes that the field of study bring to evidence that Earth ’s water " add up from within , " he toldNew Scientist .

" I think we are finally envision evidence for a whole - Earth body of water cycle , which may help explain the vast amount of liquid water system on the surface of our habitable planet , " Jacobsen added in a statement . " scientist have been looking for this missing deep water for decades . "

The subject is published inScience .