Earth was born dry until a cosmic collision made it a blue planet
Key Takeaways
- The chemical composition of the Earth's precursor was completed within three million years after the Solar System formed.
- The early Earth initially lacked essential life-supporting elements like water and carbon compounds due to high solar temperatures near the inner Solar System.
- The introduction of water, necessary for life, likely occurred via a later planetary collision.
- Researchers used a precise dating method based on the radioactive decay of manganese-53 to determine the timeline.
- The study was conducted by scientists at the Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of Bern and published in Science Advances.
A recent study by the Institute of Geological Sciences at the University of Bern has established that the chemical composition of the Earth's precursor was finalized within a maximum of three million years following the Solar System's genesis. Despite this rapid completion, the young planet initially contained very few elements crucial for life, such as water or carbon compounds, because the inner Solar System's high temperatures prevented volatile elements from condensing into rocky materials. The researchers suggest that the introduction of water, which paved the way for life, must have occurred through a subsequent celestial collision. The team, led by Dr. Pascal Kruttasch, used a high-precision dating system based on the decay of manganese-53 to accurately reconstruct the timeline of the Earth's formation by analyzing isotope and element data from meteorites and terrestrial rocks. This research provides empirical data confirming the timing of the proto-Earth's material assembly, indicating that life-friendly conditions were not inherent to its initial state. The findings were published in the journal Science Advances.
