NASA Scientists Revisit Comet Theory Behind Earth’s Water Richness
A new study published in the journal Science Advances has reignited debate about the origins of water on Earth, pointing to Jupiter-family comets as a potential cosmic culprit. The research, led by Kathleen Mandt of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, suggests that comets played a critical role in delivering water to our planet.
The study revisits earlier findings from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta mission, which had cast doubt on the idea that water came from comets. However, by analyzing thousands of water measurements collected from Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the team identified key processes that may have skewed prior results.
The comet, which was orbited and landed on by Rosetta spacecraft in 2014, has been found to have a deuterium level three times higher than Earth’s water. However, Mandt’s latest findings suggest that this measurement was distorted by dust particles in the comet’s coma.
By analyzing the full dataset from Rosetta’s mission, the team found that the true deuterium levels of 67P’s water align more closely with Earth’s. This discovery bolsters the hypothesis that comets contributed to Earth’s oceans alongside asteroids.
The study provides a window into the formation of the early solar system and highlights the importance of considering dust effects in past observations. Mandt noted that this finding “means there is a great opportunity to revisit our past observations and prepare for future ones so we can better account for the dust effects.”
While some water likely existed in the primordial gas and dust that formed Earth, much of it would have vaporized due to the planet’s proximity to the sun. Over time, volcanic vapor condensed and contributed to Earth’s oceans.
The research suggests that comets may be more significant water sources than previously thought, with their deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio matching well with Earth’s. Jupiter-family comets, in particular, are thought to deliver water with higher deuterium levels due to their formation in colder regions of the solar system.
The study adds a new layer of complexity to our understanding of Earth’s origins and has significant implications for the search for life beyond our planet.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-reveals-jupiter-comets-brought-water-earth-1995310