Crisp Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Water Trapped For 1.5 Billion Years Could Hold Ancient Life This map, from the United States Geological Survey, shows the age of bedrock in different regions of North America. Scientists found ancient water in bedrock north of Lake Superior. This region, colored red, was formed more than 2.5 billion years ago. Scientists have discovered water that has been trapped in rock for more than a billion years. The water might contain microbes that evolved independently from the surface world, and it's a finding that gives new hope to the search for life on other planets. The water samples came from holes drilled by gold miners near the small town of Timmins, Ontario, about 350 miles north of Toronto. Deep in the Canadian bedrock, miners drill holes and collect samples. Sometimes they hit pay dirt; sometimes they hit water, which seeps out from tiny crevices in the rock. Recently, a team of scientists (who had been investigating water samples from other mines) approached the miners and asked them for fluid from newly drilled boreholes. Greg Holland, a geochemist at Lancaster University in England, and his colleagues wanted to know just how long that fluid had been trapped in the rock. So they looked at the decay of radioactive atoms found in the water and calculated that it had been bottled up for a long time ? at least 1.5 billion years. "That is the lower limit for the age," Holland says. It could be a billion years older. That means the water was sealed in the rock before humans evolved, before pterosaurs flew and before multicellular life. Source and more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Hmmm, ancient life that will wipe out life on Earth.... The Evil Overlord 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCordRm Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 ^^ That statement made absolutely no sense. If it were capable of wiping out all life, then all life would be wiped out. But wait... if IT'S life, you're saying it's suicidal? Then why would it still be alive to wipe us all out? Pfft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctrl_alt_delete Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 ^^ That statement made absolutely no sense. If it were capable of wiping out all life, then all life would be wiped out. But wait... if IT'S life, you're saying it's suicidal? Then why would it still be alive to wipe us all out? Pfft. I'm pretty sure he meant human life. and if human life is wiped out then life as we know is gone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 ^^ That statement made absolutely no sense. If it were capable of wiping out all life, then all life would be wiped out. But wait... if IT'S life, you're saying it's suicidal? Then why would it still be alive to wipe us all out? Pfft. It was a joke. Thought that was obvious. I'm pretty sure he meant human life. and if human life is wiped out then life as we know is gone Pretty much..but was mainly a joke. Besides, it will just infect people and we will have the Zombie Apocalypses. fusi0n and The Evil Overlord 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
44MLX Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 How could the water have stayed there for 1.5 billion years? Great discovery though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted May 17, 2013 Member Share Posted May 17, 2013 How could the water have stayed there for 1.5 billion years? I was wondering the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Overlord Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 It was a joke. Thought that was obvious. Pretty much..but was mainly a joke. Besides, it will just infect people and we will have the Zombie Apocalypses. OMG What have you done with the real techbeck?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
123456789A Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 How could the water have stayed there for 1.5 billion years? Nobody was thirsty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Overlord Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 1.5 billion years eh? That rock must have been a REALLY good trap, :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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