Scientists find underground river beneath Amazon

This is incredible. The Amazon has a twin.

Brazilian scientists have discovered an underground river some 4,000 meters (13,000) feet deep, which flows from west to east like the country's famous waterway.

They go on to say

"It is likely that this river is responsible for the low level of salinity in the waters around the mouth of the Amazon," the statement said.

Full Article - French 24

Still amazes me how much of this world is still to be discovered. Seems we learn something new about this little blue rock every day.

The Amazon River, well the original one, is 300 feet deep I think. This new discovery is 13,000!??

I really really hope they explore this river and make a documentary!

Actually... hmmm....

It's 13,000 feet underground, not a 13,000 ft deep river.

reply to post by goochball


Okay thanks for setting that straight, I don't know how I didn't assume that right away hahahaha. Something didn't sound right

Dump into it a few hundred gallons of dye and see where it pops up at

reply to post by AnotherSon


That's so cool, this reminds me of Journey To The Center Of The Earth, as well as the Hollow Earth theory (or at least a version of it) which suggests that the earth is cavernous really deep underground.

reply to post by watchdog8110

Dump into it a few hundred gallons of dye and see where it pops up at

The ocean:

Even though the two rivers cover a similar path they have differences. The underground river flows at a far slower pace and empties into the ocean deep underground.

reply to post by TupacShakur


I ran the usual search before posting and found this: New geological discovery provides evidence to support hydroplate theory

This should ignite new and hopefully in interesting debate on the Hollow Earth Theory. A companion or twin to the effen Amazon!

Ironically the powers-that-be oil companies may wind up being the catalyst for proving such a theory.

Makes you wonder....
is it also warmer?

reply to post by CeeRZ


It could be, warmer, but it depends where its source is. As interesting as this find is, I will be more interested to find out exactly where this thing began, and what drove the creation of this enormous channel under the Earth. Also, the structure of the channel in which this river flows must be incredible to be able to stretch to two to four hundred kliks across in places, and still retain a cavern roof that isnt one gnat fart away from full structural collapse.

Another thing that interests me about this scenario , is that the existance of such a considerable underground river may suggest that the south american continent has geological properties that make it more unique than we thought. Perhaps the sink holes which regularly swallow areas across south america might be explained by a geological structure which features OTHER such enormous underground rivers.

However I cannot prove this,because I have neither the expertise nor the time to compile a map of all such sink holes,to prove this. Anyone have the know how and the gumption.

reply to post by AnotherSon


I wonder what else is below us.... maybe we are just sitting on the outer peel of Earth and there is actually another World underneath our own.... hmmm.... underground Cities has been discust on ATS before and Alien civilisations living down below.....

So we have the Amazon River 300ft deep and then layers of Earth until 13,000ft???? Is this right? And then another River? What the guy says above me could be true.... the whole ground could collapse inwards!

Originally posted by TrueBrit
Anyone have the know how and the gumption.

I certainly don't but I enjoyed your idea

More probable then my 13,000 ft deep river I suppose

If these spill into the Ocean...does that mean it's populated with wildlife, at least some fish?

reply to post by underspace


I would have thought there are some water borne species alive in that river, and what is especialy interesting about the idea of exploration and investigation of this river, is that very often these underground river systems are home to utterly unique life.

Lacking light from the sun, the underground river can be home to some very strange creatures, which may feed on smaller life forms , or perhaps on compounds found in mineral deposits and silt. There again , it may be that the most lively thing in there is a microbe or two , but the very idea of learning more about this particular discovery makes my brain salivate quite profusely .

It's not a river. It's a slow seepage of groundwater. Something got lost in translation

The "river" has been widely reported, after a study on it was presented to a Brazilian science meeting last week.

But the researchers involved told BBC News that water was moving through porous rock at speeds measured in cm, or inches, per year - not flowing.

www.bbc.co.uk...

reply to post by Essan

Spoil Sport

Probably happens under all rivers

reply to post by Essan


So is the water too still for wildlife then? Like fish I don't know much about this but it interests me. Obviously there is the lack of light, but it's connected to the Ocean right?

reply to post by underspace


Pretty much reduced to microbes in terms of life form presence then, and not particularly complex ones at that. Well , at least we know now !

There is so much we don't know and understand about our own world. I wish we would put more energy into exploring our own planet than we do harmless disintegrating comets. Thanks for the post OP. Love learning about this stuff.