Scientists find ancient water trapped deep beneath India

Using 16 broadband seismic stations across Odisha and Jharkhand, CSIR-NGRI scientists mapped the Mantle Transition Zone beneath the 3-billion-year-old Eastern Indian craton. They identified deep, low-velocity zones containing ancient trapped water and remnants of recycled ocean floors at depths of 410 to 660 km. The study estimates the zone beneath India contains 0.1% to 0.3% water by weight.