Inside the earth’s mantle, the rocky layer between the core and the crust, are vast water reservoirs stored in a mineral called ringwoodite. Researchers from the University of New Mexico and Northwestern University in Illinois have used the properties of ringwoodite as it melts and combines with water molecules to set parameters for analyzing seismic waves as they pass through the earth’s layers.

The result of their efforts was the discovery of a transition zone in the mantle that appears to be a stable water storage area. They posit that the amount of water stored in the mantle may well be as large as that which is in the world’s oceans. Other researchers welcome the discovery as adding one more piece to the puzzle of how the earth’s water cycle and internal heating and cooling functions (Joseph Castro, “Found! Hidden Ocean Locked Up Deep in Earth’s Mantle,” Live Science at LiveScience.com, June 12, 2014).

Fountains of the deep…

While a stunning scientific discovery, water deep inside the earth is not a new concept for those who read the Bible. During the days of the Great Flood that God allowed during the time of Noah, it rained torrentially, which caused catastrophic flooding, but the waters of the precipitation cycle alone would likely not have been enough to cover the mountain ranges of the earth. Additional water sources were neccesary.

An interesting description is made about how the flood waters ceased: “The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained. And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased,” (Genesis 8:2-3, NKJV).

Clearly a source of water deep in the earth played a role in the flood of Noah’s time. These “fountains of the deep” released and then re-absorbed vast quantities of water. A huge storage area of water deep in the earth’s mantle very plainly fits that description.