New Research Confuses Understanding of Earth’s Water Formation.
New Study Suggests Interactions Between Magma and Atmosphere Created Abundance of Water on Earth
A recent study published in the academic journal Nature suggests that interactions between the magma ocean and the protoplanet atmosphere of early Earth may have caused the abundance of water observed on the planet. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles developed new models of Earth’s formation to determine if the unique chemical properties of the planet could be replicated.
According to earlier research, the Earth and other rocky planets in our Solar System were formed by the merging of the dust and gas disk that surrounded the Sun in the early stages of the Solar System. Large bodies collided with each other during this time, gradually forming the protoplanet that eventually became the Earth. As the planet cooled, the densest matter collapsed inwards and the Earth’s metal core, rocky mantle, and crust were formed.
In this latest study, the researchers found that interactions between the magma ocean and the atmosphere containing molecular hydrogen in the early periods of the Earth’s existence may have created some characteristic features of the planet, such as the abundance of water. By using mathematical approaches to model the exchange of materials between atmospheres containing molecular hydrogen and oceans of magma, the researchers studied 25 different compounds and 18 different types of reactions.
The complex interactions between the various chemicals modeled provided data on the likely history of Earth’s formation. In the simulated early Earth, interactions between the magma ocean and the atmosphere caused large masses of hydrogen to move towards the metal core, oxidizing the mantle and producing large amounts of water.
The scientists say these interactions would produce «abundant» water, even if all of the rocky material that collided to form the growing planet was completely dry. While other sources of water, such as comets and meteorites, are possible, the researchers suggest that they are not necessary to explain the current state of the Earth.
Overall, the study highlights the importance of interactions between different materials during Earth’s early formation and how these interactions continue to shape our planet today.
