Scientists in Canada have discovered water that is two billion years old
In the northern part of the Canadian province of Ontario, geologists have discovered a unique body of water that had remained isolated deep within the Earth for about two billion years. The extraordinary discovery was made at a depth of nearly three kilometers underground, where the liquid had been trapped in rock fissures since a time when only microorganisms existed on the planet.
According to the researchers, the water was found at the Kidd Creek mine near the city of Timmins, Canada, which is considered one of the deepest non-ferrous metal mines in the world. Copper, zinc, and silver are mined there, and access to rock formations at such depths offers unique opportunities for scientific research.
The head of the research team, University of Toronto professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar, first visited the mine back in 1992. Her team later collected water samples from a depth of about 2.4 kilometers and determined that the water had been isolated for at least 1.5 billion years. Later, the scientists descended even deeper and discovered water approximately two billion years old.
One of the most interesting details of the study was that the researcher personally tasted the water. According to her, this helps to quickly assess the salinity of the liquid during fieldwork.
The researcher explained that the ancient water turned out to be about ten times saltier than seawater, with a thick consistency, a bitter aftertaste, and a distinctive sulfur smell. Upon contact with air, it takes on a slight orange tint due to the reaction of dissolved iron with oxygen.
However, it is not just the age of the discovery that is of greatest interest to science. The water’s chemical composition suggests possible biological activity deep within the Earth. Sulfates and dissolved hydrogen were detected in it, which could support the existence of microorganisms even in the complete absence of sunlight.
Further research in the “Kidd Creek” area confirmed the presence of sulfate-reducing microorganisms capable of surviving thanks to chemical processes deep within the planet. This discovery helps scientists better understand how life can exist in extreme conditions on Earth and, possibly, on other planets.
Space Daily reports on this.
Earlier, an international team of scientists discovered a unique underwater “whale graveyard” in the southeastern Indian Ocean, which has already been dubbed the deepest, oldest, and largest of its kind ever found.
Previously, scientists from the University of California discovered why rivers in Alaska suddenly turn bright orange—the cause is toxic iron released as permafrost melts. This is not just a strange natural phenomenon, but a consequence of large-scale climate change that is already affecting water, fish, and entire ecosystems. Researchers warn that the process is likely to intensify.
