Researchers from the University of Oxford and the UK’s national synchrotron science facility have challenged the theory that Earth’s water supply came from a rain of hydrogen-soaked rocks and comets. A new study found evidence of hydrogen embedded in rare meteorites known as enstatite chondrites, suggesting that oceans may have formed naturally without any extra provisions.
The team used X-Ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectroscopy to analyze the meteorites, which revealed concentrations of hydrogen within pristine material but not attached to parts of the rock affected by outside contamination. The researchers propose that hydrogen gas reacted with iron sulfide mineral pyrrhotite in these rocks, locking it in until conditions were right for water formation.
The findings support the idea that Earth’s water supply is a natural outcome of its composition and contradict the theory of hydrated asteroids bombarding the planet after it formed. This research provides vital evidence to confirm that water on Earth is native and not a result of contamination. The study confirms previous findings from 2020 but offers a more thorough analysis, shedding light on how our planet came to look like it does today.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/origins-of-earths-water-may-not-be-as-complicated-as-we-thought