Uncovering the Origins of Earths Water: Scientists Discover Key Clues

The Mystery of Earth’s Water: Where Did It Come From?

Although 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, science has still not been able to accurately answer the main question: where did this water come from in the first place?

The Theories Proposed by Scientists

Over the years, scientists have proposed several theories, most notably the arrival of water on asteroids to Earth producing its own early water.

A Step Towards Unraveling the Mystery

Now scientists at the California Institute of Technology have taken an important step toward solving the mystery. The team claims that the Earth was formed from the dry building blocks of rock, indicating that its water must have come much later in the planet’s formation process.

The Late Addition of Volatiles

The team explained: “The main addition of volatiles necessary for life, including water, occurred during the last 15% (or less) of the formation of the Earth.

Studying the Earth’s Formation Through Deep Magma

The history of the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, and scientists are still trying to understand the processes that formed our planet. One of the easiest ways for scientists to study this formation is to examine the magma that flows deep within the Earth.

And although we cannot easily penetrate the depths of our planet, magma deep inside the Earth eventually makes its way to the surface in the form of lava. The parent (original) magma of these lavas can come from different depths of the Earth, such as from the upper core, which starts about 15 km (9 mi) below the surface and extends for 680 km (422 mi), or from the lower core which extends from a depth of 680 km (422 miles) to the boundary between the core about 2,900 km (1,800 miles) below our feet, according to scientists.

Examining Earth’s Layers Through Magma Analysis

“Like tasting different layers of a cake, scientists can study magma coming from different depths to understand the different flavors of the Earth’s layers, the chemicals in them and their relationships to each other,” the scientists added.

The New Study’s Findings

The earth did not form all at once, instead it gathered as a material that fused over time. This means that the lower mantle and the upper mantle may give different clues to what happened during the formation of the Earth.

In the new study, the team found the absence of volatiles, chemicals that, including water, can easily evaporate into the interior of the planet. However, the upper part of the nucleus was found to be rich in volatiles.

This indicates that the Earth was formed from hot dry rocky material, and water, according to scientists, came to our planet later.

Implications and Future Research

Scientists hope the discovery will help solve the mystery of the formation of the Earth, as well as other rocky planets in our solar system.

Dr François Tissot, who led the study, said: “Studying exoplanets in space is really important because the water world is probably the best place to look for extraterrestrial life.”

Conclusion

The quest to uncover the origins of Earth’s water continues, and the recent findings by scientists at the California Institute of Technology have shed light on the formation process. As our understanding of Earth’s history deepens, we come closer to answering one of the most fundamental questions about our planet.

Source: Daily Mail

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