Where Did Earth’s Water Come From? New Research Points To a Surprising Source
Scientists have long debated the origin of Earth’s oceans.
One prevailing theory posits that abundant water arrived on Earth from space, delivered by meteorites after the planet formed. However, new research suggests a more nuanced and intriguing possibility.
According to a recently published study, a significant portion, possibly even most, Earth’s water may not have been delivered by meteorites, but instead originated much closer to home – icy asteroids in the early Solar System.
"These findings are not the first
to
challenge traditional theories about the origins of Earth’s water," explains
. They observed the existence of a peculiar pattern. Ice on asteroids from the early Solar System’s swirling disk didn’t just reside in these icy bodies. Instead, much of it sublimated, transforming from a solid state directly into gas.
But here’s the core of the recent scientific discovery: with no solid. Instead, these ancient asteroids could have contributed.
This gas disk, enriched with water vapor, may have flowed throughout the solar system, shaping
the
that paved
.
"Our research suggests a scenario where a reservoir
existed on the chilly younger
," says the paper’s lead author . "Imagine
for millions
. It’s possible water amidst this enormous cloud, the scientific would have
to
DNA
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