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New Study Challenges The Theory That Water Came From Asteroids And Suggests That Ingredients Were Present Since The Formation Of Planet Earth.
Research published in the journal Icarus reveals that the components for water on planet Earth may have existed since its formation, 4.6 billion years ago. Analyzing enstatite chondrite meteorites — similar to the material that formed the planet — scientists found enough hydrogen to explain the oceans. The study questions the need for asteroids as a primary source of water.
The Traditional Theory
For decades, scientists believed that asteroids or comets brought water to Earth. The idea was that casual collisions provided the essential resource for life. But new evidence suggests that the answer lies in the very building blocks of the planet.
Water Ingredients Were Already On Planet Earth
Tom Barrett, the lead author of the study and a PhD student at the University of Oxford, explains: “The materials that formed the Earth already contained hydrogen and oxygen.” This challenges the notion that water depended on external sources. Enstatite chondrites, meteorites formed in the inner Solar System, are the key to this discovery.
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The Meteorites That Explain The Origin Of Water
These meteorites represent 85% of the material that formed the Earth. Previous analyses identified only 20% of the hydrogen in them. Using X-rays on a meteorite from Antarctica, Barrett’s team found hydrogen bound to sulfur in the rock matrix. This compound acted as a “hydrogen factory” in the early Solar System.
Hydrogen And Sulfur
Hydrogen was stored in iron sulfides, which released the element to form water. Yves Marrocchi, a French cosmochemist, confirms: “These meteorites have enough hydrogen to explain the oceans.” Patrick Shober, a planetary scientist, adds: “The water on Earth is not an accident; it was expected.”
Implications For Other Planets
If water ingredients are abundant, other planets may have had it since their formation. Mars, for example, once had rivers and lakes. Barrett questions: “Is Earth habitable because of how it formed or evolved?”. The answer may redefine the search for extraterrestrial life.
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