Scientists stumble upon a 20,000-year-old ancient relic off the coast of the US: it could supply New York with energy for 800 years

An expedition off the coast of Massachusetts in the United States has confirmed the existence of a freshwater deposit beneath the ocean floor. The find could be as much as 20,000 years old and large enough to supply New York City with water for 800 years.

Researchers are now trying to determine how such a massive freshwater reservoir ended up beneath the ocean along the U.S. East Coast. One theory suggests it formed during the last Ice Age, when the region was covered by glaciers. Preliminary analyses indicate that the freshwater became trapped in place under frozen conditions around 20,000 years ago.

A discovery based on reports from the 1960s and 1970s

Brandon Dugan, co–chief scientist of the expedition and a professor of geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines, told Live Science that “it was quite the project and sort of a lifelong dream.” The discovery was guided by reports from the late 1960s and early 1970s that suggested the presence of freshwater beneath the seabed along the country’s East Coast.

The freshwater deposit may be even larger than previously believed. Although the results are not yet definitive, evidence suggests it could extend farther underground than early reports indicated. The scientific mission that confirmed its existence, known as Expedition 501, lasted three months and extracted a total of 13,200 gallons of water from beneath the seafloor.

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