A study conducted byOxford University and the UK's national synchrotron science facility challenges long-standing theories about the origin of water on Earth. Scientists previously believed that water on Earth arrived after the planet's formation, carried by asteroids and comets. However, new findings suggest that water could have been present in the planet's building blocks from the beginning.
The research involved studying rare meteorites known as "enstatite chondrites" (EC), which have a composition similar to the rocks formed during Earth's early development. Using advanced X-ray analysis techniques, the study found that these meteorites contained enough hydrogen to form Earth's oceans.
Dr. James Bryson, a geoscientist at Oxford University, said, "We now know that the material that formed our planet contains much more hydrogen than we previously thought. This supports the idea that Earth's water didn't come later but was formed through natural processes."
Hydrogen was hidden in the planet's early components Researchers found hydrogen in the unaltered parts of the rock samples, areas not contaminated by external factors, indicating that the hydrogen was naturally present in the meteorites, not added later.
According to the data, this hydrogen on early Earth could have combined with oxygen in the rocks to form water. This suggests that the chemical composition of the planet 4.5 billion years ago held the foundations for both water and life.
Dr. Thomas Barrett, another scientist from Oxford University, said, "We were excited when we detected hydrogen sulfide in the samples. This is strong evidence that hydrogen was part of the planet's structure from the very beginning, not added later."
New theory gains scientific backing This theory is not entirely new. A similar study in 2020 found comparable results. However, at that time, it was unclear whether the hydrogen came from the meteorites or Earth itself. The new research largely resolves this uncertainty.
The findings were published in the prestigious scientific journal Icarus.
