Earth’s ice sheets contain large quantities of life-sustaining elements

By drilling more than 3,500 feet into the Antarctic ice sheet, scientists were given a rare opportunity to collect samples of the liquid water below. The experts discovered that the water contains surprisingly high concentrations of important, life-sustaining elements such as iron, manganese, and zinc. "For a long time it was assumed that in the icy regions of the earth trace elements are present in such miniscule quantities that they are of little importance for global elemental cycles," said study co-author Jon Hawkings of Florida State …