16 weirdest things found underwater – You will be shocked! (+Photos)

3. An Ocean

More than 400 miles beneath Earth’s crust, an ocean’s worth of water is locked up in a blue mineral called ringwoodite in the transition zone between Earth’s surface and core. Interestingly, this water is in a form we don’t fully understand- it’s neither liquid, ice nor vapor. The amount of ringwoodite is estimated at one to three times the equivalent of the Earth’s oceans.

Ringwoodite’s crystal-like structure acts like a sponge, drawing in hydrogen and trapping water. The only terrestrial sample was found in a Brazilian gemstone, blasted to the surface by a diatreme eruption. It’s believed that this explains why the Earth’s oceans have stayed roughly the same size.