Posted on 05/16/2013 7:37:23 AM PDT by rickmichaels
Scientists have found a source of water 2.4 km below the earth's surface near Timmins, Ont., that's believed to be at least a billion years old.
The water was found by geochemists from the University of Manchester and the discovery was published in the journal Nature.
The scientists don't know if the underground water contains any living creatures, but said it's high in methane and hydrogen, which could support life.
They found the water in the 2.7-billion-year-old sulphide deposits in a zinc and copper mine near the northern Ontario city.
Previously, no known free-flowing water passing through the cracks in the Earth's crust has remained isolated for such a long period of time.
Scientists used three types of evidence to determine the water's age, based on the noble gases in the water.
A good vintage. Does water age well?
Would go good with some well aged whiskey.
uh hello, all water is a billion years old geniuses, it is the same water, cycling cycling since the earth was created.....
Ooh, oooh, I’ll bet we can find AIR that old, too!
Ick. Stale.
Some people are dolts and will grasp anything to make a headline.
Gott'a hold your nose to drink it, or leave it out a day, then refrigerate it.
Especially when Benghazi needs to be buried by Big Media.
Very True
Bottle it so Nannybloomberg can ban it!
I bet we could find air that old too, why are people such freakin idiots
“all water is a billion years old “
First thing I thought.
there are a lot of dumbkoffs in this world
I guess we are smarter than the average bear lol
If it didn’t before it does now.
We humans are walking bacteria farms. Once the water was exposed by the miners it was almost certainly infected with human born bacteria, viruses and who knows what.
I believe the point is it’s been isolated for a billion years well below the aquifers most wells reach. The presence of methane and free hydrogen might indicate life forms isolated for a billion years. Could br interesting.
well that is different than what the headline said, and I highly doubt the water has been sealed off for a billion years if that is what the point is
Could be interesting-——— Waiting for the first grant worth quadrillion dollars to be awarded to study this billion year old water
Yes I am cynical
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.