2.6-Billion-Year-Old Water Found in Reservoirs Under Canada : D-brief

blogs.discovermagazine.com

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I had my hopes high for Lake Vostok as well, but unfortunately there weren't any new organisms found (though there is some debate over an unknown bacteria http://www.nature.com/news/russian-scientist-defends-lake-vo...). It would be great if they'd find some life forms in there, as by analogy it could exist on other planets as well (they mention Mars).

the discovery of the Timmins reservoir could cause scientists to rethink habitable zones on a planet, as well as what role isolated underground reservoirs may play in the preservation and evolution of life.

It's always amazing to me the kinds of discoveries that people are still making, and reinforces just how little we really know about the planet we live on.

How does one date water?

Probably a variation of the isotopes of oxygen.

edit: I found this http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Paleoclimatology_O...

(I guess comment edit option goes away)

CBC has this story and they mention it's zenon isotopes that are measured to determine the age of the water.

>The researchers estimated how old the water was based on an analysis of the xenon gas dissolved in it. Like many other elements, xenon comes in forms with different masses, known as isotopes. The water in the Timmins mine contained an unusually high level of lighter isotopes of xenon that are thought to have come from the Earth's atmosphere at the time it became trapped.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2013/05/15/science-o...

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