The oldest water present on Earth, which dates back more than 2.6 billion years, was found flowing deep down in a mine in Canada by a team of geologists in 2016.

It was said to be the oldest water present on Earth. However, it was stumbled upon by some scientists in 2013 and among them, one member also had the guts to taste it.

For anyone tasting such water is not a suitable act and one would refrain from doing this. However, for scientists testing what they are working on is a standard act.

“If you’re a geologist who works with rocks, you’ve probably&nbsp;licked a lot of rocks,” said Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar, who headed the team, while speaking to CNN.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mars-once-had-water-but-now-its-barren-heres-what-led-to-its-mysterious-disappearance-756902">Mars once had water but now it's barren. Here's what led to its mysterious disappearance</a>

Also, not a very rigorous method, but tasting the water can help determine how old it is: the saltier the taste, the older it should be.

But it was definitely not safe enough to drink this water, said Lollar adding that it was also “scientifically too valuable to waste like that”. But she did dip her finger and placed it on her tongue to taste the water.

So, what was the taste of this forbidden water? “Very salty and bitter – much saltier than seawater,” as per Sherwood Lollar.&nbsp;

<h2>What else is known about the oldest water on Earth?</h2>

Apart from the lack of deliciousness in the water, a lot of other things were also found out about the liquid from its analysis.

“By looking at the sulphate in the water, we were able to see a fingerprint that’s indicative of the presence of life,” said Sherwood Lollar, while speaking to BBC News&nbsp;in 2016.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Is there life on mars? Scientists find 'oceans' of water miles beneath surface

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/is-there-life-on-mars-scientists-find-oceans-of-water-miles-beneath-surface-749934/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“And we were able to indicate that the signal we are seeing in the fluids has to have been produced by microbiology - and most importantly has to have been produced over a very long time scale," she added.

“The microbes that produced this signature couldn’t have done it overnight," the geologist said.&nbsp;

“This has to be an indication that organisms have been present in these fluids on a geological timescale,” she further stated.

(With inputs from agencies)

The oldest water present on Earth, which dates back more than 2.6 billion years, was found flowing deep down in a mine in Canada by a team of geologists in 2016.

The oldest water present on Earth, which dates back more than 2.6 billion years, was found flowing deep down in a mine in Canada by a team of geologists in 2016. It was said to be the oldest water present on Earth. However, it was stumbled upon by some scientists in 2013 and among them, one member also had the guts to taste it. For anyone tasting such water is not a suitable act and one would refrain from doing this. However, for scientists testing what they are working on is a standard act. “If you’re a geologist who works with rocks, you’ve probably licked a lot of rocks,” said Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar, who headed the team, while speaking to CNN. Also Read: Mars once had water but now it's barren. Here's what led to its mysterious disappearance Also, not a very rigorous method, but tasting the water can help determine how old it is: the saltier the taste, the older it should be. But it was definitely not safe enough to drink this water, said Lollar adding that it was also “scientifically too valuable to waste like that”. But she did dip her finger and placed it on her tongue to taste the water. So, what was the taste of this forbidden water? “Very salty and bitter – much saltier than seawater,” as per Sherwood Lollar. What else is known about the oldest water on Earth? Apart from the lack of deliciousness in the water, a lot of other things were also found out about the liquid from its analysis. “By looking at the sulphate in the water, we were able to see a fingerprint that’s indicative of the presence of life,” said Sherwood Lollar, while speaking to BBC News in 2016. Watch: Is there life on mars? Scientists find 'oceans' of water miles beneath surface “And we were able to indicate that the signal we are seeing in the fluids has to have been produced by microbiology - and most importantly has to have been produced over a very long time scale," she added. “The microbes that produced this signature couldn’t have done it overnight," the geologist said. “This has to be an indication that organisms have been present in these fluids on a geological timescale,” she further stated. (With inputs from agencies)

This Canadian mine has the oldest water on Earth. Here's how it tastes...

Researchers from the University of Toronto have discovered the world’s oldest sample of water, a finding that could offer clues about the possibility of life on Mars.

Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar and her team found the water three kilometres beneath the Earth’s surface at a base metal mine in Timmins, Ontario in 2009.

Tests conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford found that the mean age of the samples was 1.6 billion years old, making it the oldest water sample ever found on Earth.

This discovery might just solve one of humanity’s biggest unanswered questions, that is, “could there be life on other planets?”

The 58-year-old Canadian geologist is also a professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Earth Sciences. She was recently honoured with the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering from the Research Council of Canada.

“This water is full of all kinds of dissolved elements, dissolved chemicals and it’s those chemicals that allow life to eke out an existence in these deep, dark places,” Sherwood Lollar said.

Oliver Warr, a postdoctoral researcher and the leader of the team, said that this discovery could have significant ramifications on how life might exist and survive in such depths.

An article in Maclean's reported that the musty smell of the oldest water is its dead giveaway. "It literally is following your nose right up to the rock, to find the crack or the fractures where the water is discharging," says Lollar.

She noted that the water is highly saline, which is ten times saltier than seawater. But despite its musty smell, it required more than a gifted schnozz to locate it.

(With inputs from agencies)

Researchers from the University of Toronto have discovered the world’s oldest sample of water, a finding that could offer clues about the possibility of life on Mars.

Researchers from the University of Toronto have discovered the world’s oldest sample of water, a finding that could offer clues about the possibility of life on Mars. Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar and her team found the water three kilometres beneath the Earth’s surface at a base metal mine in Timmins, Ontario in 2009. Tests conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford found that the mean age of the samples was 1.6 billion years old, making it the oldest water sample ever found on Earth. This discovery might just solve one of humanity’s biggest unanswered questions, that is, “could there be life on other planets?” The 58-year-old Canadian geologist is also a professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Earth Sciences. She was recently honoured with the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering from the Research Council of Canada. “This water is full of all kinds of dissolved elements, dissolved chemicals and it’s those chemicals that allow life to eke out an existence in these deep, dark places,” Sherwood Lollar said. Oliver Warr, a postdoctoral researcher and the leader of the team, said that this discovery could have significant ramifications on how life might exist and survive in such depths. An article in Maclean's reported that the musty smell of the oldest water is its dead giveaway. "It literally is following your nose right up to the rock, to find the crack or the fractures where the water is discharging," says Lollar. She noted that the water is highly saline, which is ten times saltier than seawater. But despite its musty smell, it required more than a gifted schnozz to locate it. (With inputs from agencies)

Oldest water on earth found in a Canadian mine

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This Canadian mine has the oldest water on Earth. Here's how it tastes...

Oldest water on earth found in a Canadian mine