A Stanford University study suggests that tiny microlightning charges from crashing waterfalls and breaking waves may have played a crucial role in the origin of life on Earth. Researchers found that water droplets, when sprayed into a mix of gases, can create organic molecules, including uracil, a key component of DNA and RNA.
The new study offers an alternative explanation to the long-debated Miller-Urey hypothesis, which proposes that lightning interacting with a gas mixture could generate organic molecules. Instead, scientists discovered that microlightning – the sparks formed between oppositely charged water microdroplets – can create these molecules without external electricity.
According to Richard Zare, co-author of the study, “Microelectric discharges between oppositely charged water microdroplets make all the organic molecules observed previously in the Miller-Urey experiment.” This process could have occurred naturally on early Earth, providing a constant supply of tiny sparks that triggered chemical reactions necessary for life.
The findings shift the focus from dramatic lightning bolts to the quiet but powerful chemistry of water droplets. They suggest that life may have emerged from small but constant processes rather than a single extraordinary moment. The research opens new possibilities for understanding how life began and expands the search for life beyond our planet, as similar processes might be taking place on distant worlds with liquid water.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/microlightning-from-water-droplets-may-have-sparked-life-on-earth