View Full Version : News of the Weird: Giant Ocean Under Asia
This is pretty darn strange. I thought the heat of the earth's mantle cooked most water out of rocks after a certain depth. Seems I was wrong. There's a huge reservoir of water under Asia, so when the water wars begin, we must invade Mongolia (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070227-ocean-asia.html) post-haste!
Huge Underground "Ocean" Found Beneath Asia
Richard A. Lovett for National Geographic News
February 27, 2007
A giant blob of water the size of the Arctic Ocean has been discovered hundreds of miles beneath eastern Asia, scientists report.
Researchers found the underground "ocean" while scanning seismic waves as they passed through Earth's interior.
But nobody will be exploring this sea by submarine. The water is locked in moisture-containing rocks 400 to 800 miles (700 to 1,400 kilometers) beneath the surface.
"I've gotten all sorts of emails asking if this is the water that burst out in Noah's flood," said the leader of the research team, Michael Wysession of Washington University in St. Louis.
"It isn't an ocean. [The water] is a very low percentage [of the rock], probably less than 0.1 percent."
Given the region's size, however, that's enough to add up to a vast amount of water.
Earthquakes Reveal "Ocean"
Wysession and former graduate student Jesse Lawrence discovered the damp spot by observing how seismic waves from distant earthquakes pass through Earth's mantle.
The wet zone, which runs from Indonesia to the northern tip of Russia, showed up as an area of relatively weak rock, causing the seismic waves to lose strength much more rapidly than elsewhere (see map of Asia.)
The water got there by the process of plate tectonics, in which sections of the Earth's crust shift. This process caused the ocean bottom to be pulled beneath continental plates all around the Pacific Rim.
Normally, Earth's internal heat bakes the water out of the rocks before it gets more than 60 miles (100 kilometers) deep. The water then escapes upward as volcanic gas.
But along the eastern Pacific Rim, conditions allow the rock to be drawn much deeper before the moisture is cooked out.
Grey_Fox
02-28-2007, 19:55
Not really an ocean, just watered-down rock?
Seamus Fermanagh
02-28-2007, 20:17
Still, seismic analysis indicates there's quite a lot of water down there. Moreover, it is not part of the crust, but quite a bit deeper -- where it has always been assumed that it has been cooked out.
We learn new things every day.:yes:
However, you can still rest assured that human agency as the primary source of global warming is a demonstrated fact. Other scientific evaluations of climate are obviously wrong. :smartass:
Fisherking
02-28-2007, 20:55
Still, seismic analysis indicates there's quite a lot of water down there. Moreover, it is not part of the crust, but quite a bit deeper -- where it has always been assumed that it has been cooked out.
We learn new things every day.:yes:
However, you can still rest assured that human agency as the primary source of global warming is a demonstrated fact. Other scientific evaluations of climate are obviously wrong. :smartass:
Yes, every day we are stunned by something we didn't know before or something we thought was so that wasn't after all.
Thus my siggy thingy…though, it never seems to make an impact on the brain-dead.
There must be water deeper than 100km down. I was under the impression it was the presence of water which allowed plate tectonics to function (lubricant). Hence why Venus doesn't have active plate movement (no water).
I was actually just researching this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aps%C3%BB) as this article came up.
Fisherking
02-28-2007, 22:25
I was actually just researching this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aps%C3%BB) as this article came up.
Hay GB! I was thinking the whole thing smacked of the Sumerian tales in another way…where the Earth was the remains of Tiamat… There is some very weird stuff there and when it is true it only seems weirder.
pevergreen
03-01-2007, 01:41
Rarely is the question asked, Is our children learning
:yes:
We seem to be.
Shaka_Khan
03-01-2007, 04:16
This is pretty darn strange. I thought the heat of the earth's mantle cooked most water out of rocks after a certain depth. Seems I was wrong. There's a huge reservoir of water under Asia, so when the water wars begin, we must invade Mongolia (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070227-ocean-asia.html) post-haste!
There's something about Asia.
so, Jules Verne was right all along. interesting, very interesting. Mongolia is the best Asian country for me. Once you cross off all the countries who have either attacked the U.S., hate Christians, or hate white people, Mongolia is all that's left.
Crazed Rabbit
03-01-2007, 04:48
What about India? And Japan has been pretty friendly since WWII. I'm sure there's some others...
Oh, and should water wars erupt, I'm taking over the Fraser river. Apply now to be minions with your own domains!
CR
so, Jules Verne was right all along. interesting, very interesting. Mongolia is the best Asian country for me. Once you cross off all the countries who have either attacked the U.S., hate Christians, or hate white people, Mongolia is all that's left.
They will greet us as liberators. No, I mean it this time ...
Sasaki Kojiro
03-01-2007, 06:04
There must be water deeper than 100km down. I was under the impression it was the presence of water which allowed plate tectonics to function (lubricant). Hence why Venus doesn't have active plate movement (no water).
No, it's the high temperature and pressure that distorts the layer of rock below the plates. They aren't floating.
Misleading thread title lemur :thumbsdown:
Misleading thread title lemur :thumbsdown:
You say misleading, I say suggestive. You're probably the sort of sourpuss who complained when the x-ray glasses from the back of the comic book turned out to not, well, x-ray.
No, it's the high temperature and pressure that distorts the layer of rock below the plates. They aren't floating.
Misleading thread title lemur :thumbsdown:
I didn't think they were floating, just sort of lubricated a bit.
Meh, dangers of TV documentaries.
English assassin
03-01-2007, 13:03
Am I the only person who sees this as proof that Aldous Huxley was right about psychadelic drugs?
Well, probably I am. But hear me out. There's evidence, and not like that made up "evolution" type either.
As well all, know, Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote Xanadu after waking up from an opium dream. And as you remember if you were paying attention in English, the opening verse of Xanadu reads:
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea
And now Lemur announces the discovery of a vast sea (with a bit of rock in it) under Mongolia, JUST where Coleridge said it would be. Coincidence? I think NOT.
So, how did Coleridge know of the existence of this sea hundreds of years before modern science? :inquisitive: Only one possible answer my friends, the drugs DO work.
Big King Sanctaphrax
03-01-2007, 14:03
Isn't the poem called Kubla Khan? Xanadu is the name of the Rush song.
English assassin
03-01-2007, 14:09
Well spotted that man, obviously the assassin's attention had wandered at that precise moment in class, but I AM right about the drugs.
Actually there is a stream of consciousness the runs from Coleridge to Getty Lee to the Lemur and the Assassin it appears.
"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea." -Coleridge
"To seek the sacred river alph
To walk the caves of ice..."
"I had heard the whispered tales
Of immortality
The deepest mystery
From an ancient book. I took a clue -Rush
However, we learn the dangers of seeking after that which we ought not:
"Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean...
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise." -Coleridge
"Nevermore shall I return
Escape these caves of ice
For I have dined on honey dew
And drunk the milk of paradise" -Rush
The sunless Ocean of the Khan is not for mere mortals.
Louis VI the Fat
03-01-2007, 18:50
There's a huge reservoir of water under Asia, so when the water wars begin, we must invade Mongolia (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070227-ocean-asia.html) post-haste!Tsk, it's teh Americans starting wars for scarce water recources when they actually have plenty of their own.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/bigphotos/images/070227-ocean-asia_big.jpg
Not only middle-Asia, but also Texas and Alaska have huge reservoirs of underland water reserves. If only Americans would cut down the use of their water-guzzling, oversized bathroom and kitchen appliances they'd be far less dependent on foreign imports. :book:
Originally posted by luigi IV di Fatlington
Not only middle-Asia, but also Texas and Alaska have huge reservoirs of underland water reserves. If only Americans would cut down the use of their water-guzzling, oversized bathroom and kitchen appliances they'd be far less dependent on foreign imports.
Actually, if only those stupid Greenpeace environmental groups would let us! If it wasn't for them and over seas jobs, then America could be completely self sufficient. Ex.-oil from alaska and texas. but no says the environmental groups, and the Democrats dont like it either. If you want unemployement percentage to go down, let us (the intelligent people) use the resources our country can provide.
Sasaki Kojiro
03-01-2007, 22:44
Tsk, it's teh Americans starting wars for scarce water recources when they actually have plenty of their own.
Not only middle-Asia, but also Texas and Alaska have huge reservoirs of underland water reserves. If only Americans would cut down the use of their water-guzzling, oversized bathroom and kitchen appliances they'd be far less dependent on foreign imports. :book:
Well that makes sense. Rock that can hold oil can hold water.
*wonders if there's oil under asia*
ShadesPanther
03-02-2007, 00:12
Once you cross off all the countries who have either attacked the U.S., hate Christians, or hate white people, Mongolia is all that's left.
Luxemburg.
But they are just biding their time....:whip:
Shaka_Khan
03-02-2007, 02:30
Once you cross off all the countries who have either attacked the U.S., hate Christians, or hate white people, Mongolia is all that's left.
What about Ukraine, Australia, Thailand, etc.?
I was referring to the previous sentence,, which says Mongolia would be the best Asian country. then i said once you cross off the ones that blah blah blah, only Mongolia woud be left. I meant out of the Asian coutries.
There's a huge reservoir of water under Asia
https://img248.imageshack.us/img248/3088/orlycthuluqr9.th.jpg (https://img248.imageshack.us/my.php?image=orlycthuluqr9.jpg)
Look out for shoggoths. :yes:
Marshal Murat
03-02-2007, 04:26
NUKE THEM!
I really think that if the water began steaming due to internal heat, then the ground would sink as the rocks were slowly dropped. It's like the world would be ending.
Papewaio
03-02-2007, 05:56
Once you cross off all the countries who have either attacked the U.S., hate Christians, or hate white people, Mongolia is all that's left.
....
I was referring to the previous sentence,, which says Mongolia would be the best Asian country. then i said once you cross off the ones that blah blah blah, only Mongolia woud be left. I meant out of the Asian coutries.
Well only Japan has attacked the US.
That leaves the rest of Asia or about 1/3 of the worlds population.
Taiwan has no issues with Christians (the Green party... which is the main contender to KMT... has a large Christian faction). They don't hate white people, in fact for some girls there a white guy is like have an YSL or other high end label fashion bag... pure status symbol.
Singapore, same as anywhere else.
Indonesia, a muslim country which doesn't have issues with Christians (one of the major mosques was designed by a Christian) or white people (except those who don't make an effort to learn the local language, not sure when the French snuck in to teach them that attitude :clown: )
etc etc etc.
English assassin
03-02-2007, 10:13
Actually there is a stream of consciousness the runs from Coleridge to Getty Lee to the Lemur and the Assassin it appears.
Wow, wait up, there's more. As well as the Rush connection, I've just remembered that Iron Maiden covered (if that is quite the right word) the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Lord Byron. Does Coleridge rock OR WHAT?
Can anyone think of a poet who can top this? Possibly Jethro Tull did book 6 of the Aeneid as a concept album and I haven't heard? (Seriously, someone should, shouldn't they?)
I'll tell you what, popular culture would be a lot more eclectic if I was in charge.
ShadeHonestus
03-02-2007, 10:28
Dr. Evil is currently hatching a plan to collapse the China mainland into this...
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