NEW DATA ON MASSES AND MASS FLOWS OF SUBSURFACE WATER IN THE EARTH'S CRUST

Abstract

We carried out a new quantitative estimate of the subsurface water (SW) in the major shells of the Earth's crust. The results obtained and calculation parameters are given. According to the updated estimate, the modern crustal sedimentary shell contains 0.276 · 1024 g of water, i.e., approximately 4.8 times less than in the modern ocean. The so-called granitic and basaltic crustal shells contain much more water (0.37-0.47 · 1024 g). Thus, the total amount of water contained in the Earth's crust is 0.64-0.75 · 1024 g, i.e., somewhat more than one-half of the surface hydrosphere mass. This estimate is slightly lower than the previously published value, and the discrepancy (10-12%) lies within uncertainty limits determined by the choice of parameters, such as the porosity of the granitic-metamorphic and granulitic-basic shells of the Earth's crust.