Scientists in Canada have found water trapped underground for up to 2.6 billion years, the oldest ever discovered. This water sits nearly three kilometers deep in a mine near Timmins, Ontario. The team made the discovery while studying old rock layers in the Precambrian Shield. They say it could tell us about Earth's ancient climate. And it might even point to life forms living far below the surface.
Key Takeaways
- Water aged 2.6 billion years found 1.5 to 3 km deep in Timmins mine.
- Rich in hydrogen and methane, like spots where life thrives today.
- Offers clues to early Earth air and possible hidden microbes.
- Similar setups may exist on Mars, changing how we hunt for life there.
Background
The story starts deep under Timmins, a small city in northern Ontario. That's where copper and zinc mines go far below ground. Miners have dug deeper in recent years as metal prices rose. This let scientists reach spots they couldn't before. The area is part of the Canadian Shield. It's some of North America's oldest rock, formed billions of years ago.
Long ago, this land sat under an ancient ocean. Volcanic activity built up layers of rock there. Pillow lavas from that time still show in the mine walls. Water seeped into cracks as the rocks formed. Then it got sealed away. Forces like earthquakes or erosion didn't touch it much. That's how it stayed isolated for so long.
Researchers have hunted old water in deep mines for decades. They've checked sites in South Africa and elsewhere. But nothing matched this age. The Timmins find beats past records by a lot. It came from work by a team that included experts from the University of Toronto and Lancaster University. They published details in the journal Nature.
And it's not just any water. Samples flow out at about two liters a minute from drill holes. Warm to the touch. Saltier than the sea. Full of gases like hydrogen, methane, and noble ones such as xenon. Those gases act like a time capsule. They match air from billions of years back. This paints a picture of what Earth was like then.
Key Details
How They Dated It
The team used noble gases to figure the age. Helium, neon, argon, xenon. Each builds up over time in set ratios. Those ratios link to Earth's eras. By checking them in the water, scientists pinned the trap date between 1.5 billion and 2.6 billion years ago. Some samples hit the max age.
Lead researcher Barbara Sherwood Lollar has studied these mines for over ten years. She works at the University of Toronto. Her group drilled into fractures in granite-like rock. The water trickled out clear but loaded with stuff. No one drank it. Too salty. Too gassy. Tastes terrible, they say.
"It was absolutely mind-blowing. These weren't tens of millions of years old like we might have expected, or even hundreds of millions of years old. They were billions of years old." – Barbara Sherwood Lollar, University of Toronto
The water's chemistry stands out. High hydrogen levels match hydrothermal vents. Those ocean floor spots teem with life today. No sun needed. Just chemical energy from rock and water reactions. Sulfate in the water forms right there, not from the surface. This setup could feed microbes for eons.
But no life confirmed yet. The team wants to check more. They note similar water in younger South African mines holds tiny bugs. Those bugs live off the gases. So this older water might too. The reservoir's size? Unknown. Could be huge. Or just pockets. Future trips will tell.
Read more about ancient DNA studies that reveal past life forms. And check moon rocks showing Earth's early magnetic field.
What This Means
This water changes how we see habitable spots. Life doesn't need sun or air. Underground reservoirs can last billions of years. They shield from surface changes. Earth had rough times back then. Asteroid hits. Wild climate swings. But deep down, steady conditions held.
Think Mars. Its surface is dead. Dry and cold. But it has old, stable crust like the Canadian Shield. Water from long ago might hide there. If Timmins water supports life, Mars could too. Subsurface oceans or cracks. NASA's rovers hunt surface signs now. This pushes for deep drills.
On Earth, it shows a vast hidden world. The deep biosphere. Microbes down there outnumber all surface life. They cycle carbon and other stuff. Affect climate over time. This find adds to that picture. Energy from rock reactions keeps it going. No end in sight.
Scientists plan more work. Hunt life in the water. Map the reservoir. Check other old sites worldwide. Questions linger. How big is it? What lives there, if anything? Does it link to early life on Earth? Each answer builds the story.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the water stay trapped so long?
Water filled cracks as rocks formed under an ancient ocean. Layers sealed it off. Little movement or erosion kept it isolated for billions of years.
Could there be life in this water?
Gases like hydrogen provide energy for microbes, like in ocean vents. Younger deep waters have life. But none confirmed here yet.
Why can't people drink it?
It's warm, super salty, and full of gases. Tastes bad and could harm you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the water stay trapped so long?
Water filled cracks as rocks formed under an ancient ocean. Layers sealed it off. Little movement or erosion kept it isolated for billions of years.
Could there be life in this water?
Gases like hydrogen provide energy for microbes, like in ocean vents. Younger deep waters have life. But none confirmed here yet.
Why can’t people drink it?
It’s warm, super salty, and full of gases. Tastes bad and could harm you.
