Found: The World’s Oldest Pool of Water Is 2 Billion Years Old

Atlas Obscura ^ | December 16, 2016 | Sarah Laskow

[NYer]

Deep within a mine in Canada, there is a pool of water bubbling out of the ground. It’s close to 2 miles below the surface of the earth and, according to the scientists who discovered it, it’s been there for 2 billion years, making it the oldest pool of water in the world.

Previously that record was held by a pool further up in the mine, about 1.5 miles down, which was discovered in 2013 and given the age of 1.5 billion years.

The scientists date the water by analysing the gases trapped inside. As the CBC explains, gases like helium and xenon accumulate in the water while it’s stuck in rock fractures. Measuring those concentrations can tell the researchers how old the water is.

What’s unique about this water is that it’s been conserved for all that time. Much of the water on this planet has an even older origin: half of the water on Earth is actually melted interstellar ice that predates the sun.

As the BBC reports, the most fascinating aspect of these billion-year-old pools of water is the possibility that they could reveal more about life on Earth billions of years ago. The scientists have detected signs that single-celled organisms once lived in this water, which is now about eight times saltier than seawater.

[Mr Apple]

Interesting. Thank you for this post.

[fwdude]

Wow...no evaporation in all that time...amazing.

That's because the pool isn't "2 billion years old." It's silly to say so.

[Grimmy]

Sooo...

I suppose they want us to take showers before we swim in it?

[SatinDoll]

Who is the man in that photograph, and what is his relationship to a pool of old stale water?

[21twelve]

Speaking of scientists and God....

The scientist tells God that he can create life too. God takes the bet and says “Go”. The scientist grabs a big scoop of dirt. God looks over and says “Hey - get your own dirt!”

[SaveFerris]

lol

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Stardust

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em3xyZz_mow

[SaveFerris]

I was wondering where the date stamp was, too.

[Rastus]

I like what CSN did to that song more than Joni’s unpleasant caterwauling.

[SaveFerris]

+1

[NorseWood]

That is great

[toast]

[SaveFerris]

lolol

[Lent]

Would make a great Christmas gift!

[Rapscallion]

Test it for hormones.

[ReformedBeckite]

Was Dan Rather any where near by to report on this find.

My gut feeling is some very liberal scientist from a very liberal university was given a very large sum of money from the liberal Democrat party to come up with this bull sh## discovery to push their evolutionary old earth made up science.

[SaveFerris]

[ half of the water on Earth is actually melted interstellar ice that predates the Sun. ]

I guess all that ice had to be wait around, being bored, for the Sun to be created to melt it. Finally!....they thought....

[SaveFerris]

I thought Hillary was going to retire after losing in 2016?

[dp0622]

that explains why my back hurts.

[dp0622]

Lol