Scientists have found something under the Atlantic. Something amazing under the ocean floor. It is vast and stretches for hundreds of kilometers along North America’s east coast. Something huge is trapped under there. You wouldn’t believe what it is.
The hidden secret under the Atlantic Ocean
This discovery has shocked the masses and experts. This is not something you would expect to find under an ocean. It also makes sense in a way. It is buried under layers of rock and sand. It is massive. It does have experts a bit worried. Should the planet continue to increase in temperature, this thing could be freed from the depths.
It has been sealed under the Atlantic for thousands of years. Nobody knows what might happen if it is freed from the deep. It has been there since ancient times. You wouldn’t even think it could be underneath an ocean. But it is there.
A ghost ocean is hidden under the Atlantic.
An ocean within an ocean. You read that correctly. There is a large reservoir of water trapped underneath the Atlantic Ocean. It is odd but also makes sense…kind of. It is being called a ghost ocean. This is not just a small amount of water. It is vast. It has as much water in it as some of the largest lakes in the world.
This water is confined under a lot of pressure. As polar ice caps melt, the waters of the ocean get warmer. The weight of the ocean above this reservoir and the pressure beneath it could start to change. Some of the water from the ghost ocean could be released. Experts do not know what that could mean for the planet or the Atlantic.
A ghost ocean could rise out of the Atlantic
Experts who have spoken about it have not appeared to be so excited. The release of this water could be slow. This release still matters. This water has a lot of minerals and salt. These could mess with ocean currents. Local ecosystems might be impacted by saltier water. This buried water from this ghost ocean is not fresh. It has been trapped for so long that it has absorbed minerals from the rocks that trap it. What that water could do to marine life is uncertain right now.
But how did this ghost ocean form? Millions of years ago, tectonic plates shifted. This shift locked seawater under layers of rock and sand. This water became more dense as it was trapped under the ocean. The heat and pressure down there did that. So, now that water is denser and saltier than normal ocean water.
What the ghost ocean under the Atlantic could mean for the world
This ocean was found when experts listened to seismic waves. Now, don’t expect flooding. The release of this water will be slow. Experts are watching this closely, as it could show how the planet deals with global warming. The focus is on how this release could change currents. Certain streams rely on particular temperatures, which this could unbalance.
If, for instance, the Gulf Stream was unsettled, things like the weather in Europe and North America could be thrown out of whack. This means change in rain and temperatures. Farming and fisheries could suffer. That is never a good thing. This ghost or sleeping ocean is a warning. The planet is reacting to global warming in ways that experts are only just finding.
Who knows what else is hiding under our oceans? They are vast and cover most of the planet. We have not mapped out most of what is hidden within and beneath them. An entire ocean beneath another is an astounding find. It will be watched closely.