Posted on 12/20/2016 1:44:17 PM PST by 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.
Nous sommes du soleil
Les visages de les enfants
Le main de Dieu.
We are of the sun
The faces of the children
God's hand in us all.
"Ceterum censeo Islam esse delendam."
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
since the sun is the source of heat in our solar system, how could the interstellar ice melt prior to the creation of the sun?
I'm confused......
Is this one of those creationist, the earth is 6000 years old threads, or interesting science. The comments I’ve seen so far scare me.
It wasn't exposed to air.
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We used to have a Dennis the Menace cartoon up on the wall.
His mom was having a hen party, and is pouring punch from a pitcher into one of the ladies’ cup while Dennis blurts out “the kitchen sink isn’t working so Mom used bathroom water to make the punch” as his mom’s knees are quivering like she is about to die of embarrassment.
i'm pretty sure they'll tell you it's settled science...
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“Old Earth” is definitely not science.
Your comments should embarrass you.
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This is Science Fiction.
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I get that it was underground, but that it was there for 2 billion years with zero infiltration from above is a little hard to accept.
The cruel ghoul from the cool pool!
Robert Byrd was still only a Ku Klux Klansboi.
No wanking in the pool, pisser!
What do you mean by “old earth is definitely not science”? Are you inferring that there is a new earth that is scientificly gifted in sentient way? Why should my comments embarrass me? Why are you harassing me anyway?
That will be a GREAT slogan on the bottle!
It’s older than Abe Vigoda? Wow...
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Why are you harassing the thread?
The Earth is 6016 years old.
All of the physical evidence shows that the Earth cannot be older than that. We still have constant deep soil land slides all over the Earth, and all of the soil would be rock if the Earth had been broken up more than once.
Features that the oldies try to say are evidence of age are really quite the opposite.
The Grand Canyon for example would be nothing but a narrow slot rather than an open canyon had it not been mostly created in a few days while the soil was all still wet from the Genesis flood.
The only part of that canyon that was slowly eroded is the very bottom, which is only cut a few feet from the rocks that tumble down the river under present flows.
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Pore water at that depth (and pretty much the rest of the shallower) in a closed formation doesn’t evaporate.
Note: this topic is from 12/20/2016. Thanks NYer.
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