It is more than two billion years old.. The discovery of the oldest water in the world
Geologists have found isolated groundwater that is more than two billion years old and contains traces of life. But that's not the only reason why the discovery is so impressive.
Several years ago, in 2016, geologists made a very exciting geological discovery in a Canadian mine. At a depth of about three kilometers, the water source they discovered was between 1.5 billion and 2.64 billion years old. And according to the study's tests, it was the oldest thing ever discovered on Earth, considering how isolated it is. According to what was published by (Nature Communications).
Professor Barbara Sherwood Lawler, who led the team that made the discovery, said: "When people think of this water, they assume it's tiny amounts of water trapped inside rocks." But in fact, the amount of water was so great that it was coming to the surface at a relatively large rate of one liter every minute, an amount of water that could not have been expected in a source so ancient as this.
Usually, groundwater flows slowly compared to the water on the surface, as the flow rate of this water is one cubic meter per year, but when a well is drilled to reach this water deep in the ground, it can flow at a rate of about two liters per minute. .
Evidence for life forms
The researchers also found chemical traces in the water, left by microorganisms that once lived in the water. "By examining the sulfates in the water, we were able to detect a signature of life," Lollar said. According to what was published by the German (Future Zone) website.
The researchers stress that such discoveries could provide clues to places where life could exist elsewhere in the solar system.
Source: websites