News From the Field

Ancient, hydrogen-rich waters discovered deep underground at locations around the world


December 17, 2014

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A team of scientists, led by the University of Toronto's Barbara Sherwood Lollar, has mapped the location of hydrogen-rich waters found trapped kilometers beneath Earth's surface in rock fractures in Canada, South Africa and Scandinavia. Common in Precambrian Shield rocks--the oldest rocks on Earth--the ancient waters have a chemistry similar to that found near deep-sea vents, suggesting these waters can support microbes living in isolation from the surface.Full Story

Source
University of Toronto

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