Is there an ocean beneath our feet? Ocean water may reach upper mantle through deep sea faults

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140127093207.htm


Issue: International


Summary:
Through small fault cracks that run beneath the deepest ocean trenches, scientists in Liverpool have learned that the oceans are transporting much more water to the mantle than previously thought. This transport of water is leading us to believe that we may have much more hidden water on the planet that previously thought.
Professor Andreas Rietbrock said, "We found that fault zones that form in the deep oceanic trench offshore Northern Japan persist to depths of up to 150 km. These hydrated fault zones can carry large amounts of water, suggesting that subduction zones carry much more water from the ocean down to the mantle than has previously been suggested."
"This supports the theory that there are large amounts of water stored deep in the Earth."
This helps us understand much more about plate tectonics, and how our Earth is working. The more we know, the better.




Opinion:
I think that the more that we understand about our Earth, the better. If there is some way to harness this hidden water, it may even be worthwhile looking into it.


Definition:
Hydrated Fault Zone- Areas deep within the Earth that show evidence of possessing quantities of water in the faults.