They weren't expecting to find the ancient water, estimated to be 100 to 145 million years old, while boring a hole 1.1 miles (1.8 kilometers) deep into the massive crater, located under the Chesapeake Bay.
The crater was formed about 35 million years ago when a large rock or chunk of ice slammed into what's now the mouth of the bay, off Cape Charles, Virginia, hollowing out a 56-mile-wide (90-kilometer-wide) hole in the floor of the North Atlantic Ocean.
"The water was in the sediment long before the impact occurred. The impact simply reshuffled the sediment in large blocks, which helped preserve it," said study leader Ward Sanford, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
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Just how do you tell the age of water? People get paid for this?
ReplyDeleteThey probably date other elements mixed in with the water that have a certain radioactive decay. Also, people do in fact get paid to do this.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of reminds me of that old movie "The Blob"
ReplyDeleteThe Cave man probably had already polluted it.
ReplyDeletethanks for the post. very interesting.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteJust how do you tell the age of water? People get paid for this?
November 22, 2013 at 9:36 AM
Yes, people get paid for this, and I'm quite sure they are paid much more than you. Stop hating things you don't understand.
2:38
ReplyDeleteIt is a HUGE waste of money, and I completely understand how government grants work.
If this had happened in MD, otaxie would have been on the scene to tax the water and DEMAND back taxes as well!
ReplyDeleteIt is a better use of money than Obamaphones. At least someone can learn something from this.
ReplyDeleteI think this is very interesting. History right in our backyard. Would like to read more about this finding, and how the scientists actually determine the waters' age. This is really important data and just think what else they may discovery.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete2:38
It is a HUGE waste of money, and I completely understand how government grants work.
November 22, 2013 at 3:38 PM
only to someone who doesn't understand science or the value of it. maybe you don''t know as much as you would have us believe
Better be careful,it might swallow up the whole Eastern Shore!
ReplyDeleteI wish less funding went towards killing people and more went to learning. I will never understand why we spend so much money destroying our world and only a fraction is put towards research.
ReplyDeleteAs for the importance of this find, you never know where the next breakthrough will be or in what fields it could be applied.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteBetter be careful,it might swallow up the whole Eastern Shore!
November 24, 2013 at 10:53 AM
I wish dummies like you would get swallowed up, never to be heard from again. That would be a nice xmas present.
My mind is blown, but it happened in the late 60's!
ReplyDelete