Earth’s Formation Might Have Occurred at a Faster Rate Than Previously Thought, Increasing Chances of Alien Life

There have been debates on how the Earth and other planets were formed. One of the famous theories is the core accretion model, which states that the Earth's rocky core was formed first by the clumping up of small particles that remained from the formation of the Sun. This model further suggests that the Earth progressively increased in size for over 100 million years, and its collision with an asteroid led to water on its surface.

However, this proposed theory can be applied to the formation of Earth and other terrestrial planet, but it does not apply to the gas giants. Aside from this, the core accretion model does not seem plausible because the presence of water would depend on chance events.

A New Outlook About the Origin of the Earth

Researchers from the Centre for Star and Planet Formation (StarPlan) at the University of Copenhagen conducted a peer-reviewed study on how the proto-Earth, or the precursor of our planet, came to be. Globe Institute Professor Martin Bizarro and his team used iron isotopes to understand the mechanisms and timescales of forming the planets.

The team investigated more than 60 meteorites and other heavenly bodies to establish the genetic connections between Earth, Mars, and other planetary objects. In investigating the isotopic mixture of the elements in different meteorites, the experts found that the so-called Cl chondrites are the only material with a composition that resembles that of Earth. This challenges the conventional wisdom by offering a fresh theory on the creation of the Earth.

Their investigation suggests that our planet was developed from the quick accumulation of small millimeter-sized pebbles. During the early stages of Earth's formation, the Sun was surrounded by a disk filled with small dust particles. The disk is composed of icy particles combined with dust particles.

According to research co-author Isaac Onyett, this dust had an important role in the Earth's formation. As planets grew bigger, they served like vacuum cleaners, swiftly accumulating the surrounding dust particles. The fast accumulation process contributed to the Earth's growth until it reached its present size after just a few million years.

How is This Related to Study About Alien Life?

This theory does not only offer a different outlook into the building blocks and processes involved in Earth's formation. The rate at which Earth was formed also has significant implications for the potential of other planets to support alien life. As Bizzaro claims, the new planet formation mechanism gives a higher chance of having a habitable planet in our galaxy and the universe.

Bizarro believes that this faster accumulation rate led to the emergence of water as its byproduct. Suppose it is proven that water is present during the early phase of the development of the Earth. In that case, there is an increased likelihood that water is also present on other planets, possibly hosting alien life. In the future, if astronomers find a planetary system with a star the size of the Sun, a planet could contain water if it is located at the right distance.