Indo-Japanese scientists working together have made an intriguing discovery of traces of an ancient ocean – indiansupdate.com

Indo-Japanese scientists working together have made an intriguing discovery of traces of an ancient ocean that once existed in the Himalayas approximately 600 million years ago. The joint research team from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and Niigata University, Japan, found droplets of water trapped in mineral deposits that appear to have originated from the ancient ocean.

The deposits, containing both calcium and magnesium carbonates, were analyzed, and the researchers believe that this discovery could offer crucial insights into a significant oxygenation event in Earth’s history. Termed the “Snowball Earth glaciation,” around 700 to 500 million years ago, Earth was covered by thick ice sheets in one of its major glacial events. Subsequently, the “Second Great Oxygenation Event” occurred, increasing the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere and facilitating the evolution of complex life forms.

The researchers aim to understand the connection between these events, but due to the scarcity of well-preserved fossils and the disappearance of past oceans, it has been a challenge. The Himalayas, composed of exposed sea rocks, provide a chance to learn about Earth’s historical climate. The team’s findings suggest that the sedimentary basins in the region lacked calcium for an extended period, potentially due to reduced riverine input. As a result, increased magnesium levels led to the trapping of ancient ocean water in the crystallized magnesium deposits.

The absence of calcium and nutrient deficiency may have fostered favorable conditions for slow-growing photosynthetic cyanobacteria. These organisms could have contributed to the Second Great Oxygenation Event by releasing more oxygen into the atmosphere.

The scientists conducted comprehensive laboratory studies throughout a broad span of the west Kumaon Himalayan Mountains, including Amritpur to the Milam ice and Dehradun to the Gangotri, India glacier region, to validate their findings. The findings affirm that the deposits indeed resulted from precipitation from ancient ocean water and not from other sources, such as the Earth’s interior or submarine volcanic activity. The study was published in Precambrian Research and provides valuable information on Earth’s ancient history and climatic changes.