A scientist has discovered a river with boiling water, flowing in the Amazon.
As a 12-year-old boy, Andrés Ruzo (who is now a geoscientist), grew up hearing stories of the "mythical river" and had always assumed it was a figment of imagination.
Once he began his PhD at the Southern Methodist University in Texas, he began to investigate the idea despite his colleagues doubting the merit of the research project.
What he found was a body of water 25 meters wide and six meters deep Gizmodo reports
At certain points in the river the temperature is hot enough to brew tea or boil animals alive.
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In a Ted Talk, Ruzo describes what happened when he first discovered the river.
"I immediately grabbed for my thermometer, and the average temperatures in the river were 86 degrees C. This is not quite the 100-degree C boiling but definitely close enough," he said.
"I asked for tea. I was handed a mug, a tea bag and, well, pointed towards the river. To my surprise, the water was clean and had a pleasant taste, which is a little weird for geothermal systems."
As a geoscientist, Ruzo was fascinated by the fact the river exists without a volcanic source.
"I'm still unable to find another non-volcanic geothermal system of this magnitude," he explains. "It's unique. It's special on a global scale."