Meteorites such as these carbonaceous chondrites are thought to have delivered water to the Earth–but an outstanding question is when. A new study points to the early incorporation of water in the growing Earth. Credit: Image courtesy Nicolas Dauphas
New measurements of lunar rocks suggest different story about Earth’s early days. Cosmo-chemists have performed the largest study to date of oxygen isotopes in lunar rocks, and found a small but measurable difference in the makeup of the moon and Earth. The research proposes that Earth acquired the majority of its water during the main stage of its growth – which counters a popular theory.
The most widely accepted theory of the origin of the Moon speculates that a giant object smashed into the proto-Earth at just enough velocity that part of b...
Read More
Recent Comments