Water origins have been a long-standing mystery. Science Alert notes that several theories and assumptions explain how water reached this place. There is also tons of evidence that supports it.
A study published in GeoScienceWorld reveals that other solar systems that are young are abundant in water. In solar systems like the earth, water joins the ride as the small star keeps growing and planets keep forming. Evidence was examined in earth's huge water content. This evidence shows that the earth's water has an age of 4.5 billion years.
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Earth's Water is 4.5 Billion Years Old
The title of the said study is "We Drink Good 4.5-Billion-Year-Old Water." It was conducted by Italian astronomer Cecilia Ceccarelli of France's Institute for Plaandences and Astrophysics and astronomer Fujun Du from China's Purple Mountain Observatory.
A solar system starts its formation with a molecular cloud that is gigantic. This cloud is mainly made of hydrogen, which is the main component of water. Next to hydrogen are carbon, oxygen, and helium. The latter one, helium, is most abundant and followed by oxygen than carbon in terms of abundance. This gas cloud is also filled with small silicate and carbonaceous dust grains.
The said research digs into the water origins of the earth's solar system and has been found to start here.
In the cold, as oxygen encounters a grain of dust, the element becomes frozen and follows the surface.
Water: Hydrogen and Oxygen
However, water can only be formed if oxygen and hydrogen successfully combine. Moreover, lighter hydrogen atoms within the cloud move around the hardened grains of dust until it meets with oxygen.
When these two meet, a reaction occurs, leading to water ice formation. Two different types come to be, namely regular water and heavy water with deuterium.
Deuterium is a hydrogen isotope referred to as HDO or heavy hydrogen. Within its nucleus, one neutron and one proton can be found. This makes it different from typical protium hydrogen. Protium has a proton within it, but it has no neurons. Both hydrogen isotopes are consistent and persistent. Both can also mix with oxygen to end up with water.
The researchers note how the solar system came through four steps and how water formed as part of this process.
Water Synthesis Happened in Two Separate Times
They also note that water synthesis took place in two episodes. The first one occurred before the solar system's formation, while it still remained a cloud. On the other hand, the second one took place upon the formation of planets.
Both occur in various conditions. As for the water from the first phase, the concern is how much of this prehistoric water got inherited by the earth.
Universe Today notes that the study results show that 1% up to 50% of the water from the earth came from the solar system's initial phase. This range is quite wide, but it still has significant impacts.
The authors conclude that water within asteroids and comets has existed since large quantities were formed. They mentioned that it is likely that earth got its original water mostly through planetesimals, which are the supposed precursors of planets and asteroids that formed earth.
Water is a central focus in understanding the universe. By studying how its origins can be traced to the solar system's beginnings, the experts have given a starting point for understanding several other things.
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