Breakthrough discovery about the origin of water on Earth

Scientists at the University of Oxford have just announced an important discovery, overturning previous theories about the origin of water on Earth. This new research was published in the journal Icarus on April 16.

Scientists have long believed that Earth's water originated from asteroids that crashed into the Earth's surface. However, new research suggests that the material that formed our planet originally contained much more hydrogen than previously thought.

The team analyzed a special type of meteorite called an enstatite chondrite, which has a similar composition to the early Earth (4.55 billion years ago). They found a significant source of hydrogen, an essential ingredient in the formation of water molecules.

Remarkably, scientists have proven that the hydrogen in this sample is original, not due to external contamination. This finding suggests that the material that made up the early Earth was much richer in hydrogen than scientists previously thought.

The team analysed meteorite LAR 12252, found in Antarctica, using X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the Diamond Light Source in Harwell, Oxfordshire.

They found that the matrix-like structure of the meteorite contained five times more hydrogen sulfide than the non-crystalline parts.

Tom Barrett, a PhD student in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford, who led the research, said: "We were very excited when our analysis showed that the sample contained hydrogen sulfide – but not where we expected it! Since the likelihood of this hydrogen sulfide originating from contamination on Earth is very low, the study provides important evidence supporting the theory that Earth's water is a natural result of the planet's formation."

Professor James Bryson, co-author of the study, emphasized: "A fundamental question for planetary scientists is how the Earth got to its present appearance. We now know that the material that made up our planet was much richer in hydrogen than we previously thought. This finding supports the idea that the formation of water on Earth was a natural process, rather than the random collision of water-containing asteroids after the Earth was formed."

This research has opened a new chapter in our understanding of the origin of water on Earth, and has great significance in understanding the formation of planets capable of containing life in the universe./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/phat-hien-dot-pha-ve-nguon-goc-nuoc-tren-trai-dat-post1033246.vnp