A team of scientists from the University of Copenhagen has disproved the commonly accepted theory about the formation of the Earth. Their study, published in the journal Nature, shows that our planet was formed much faster than previously thought.
According to the popular theory, it took more than 100 million years for the Earth to form. And when it did form, the planet was bombarded by asteroids and meteorites in the early stages of its existence. The conventional wisdom is that water was brought to Earth by asteroids. However, a new study from the University of Copenhagen suggests that water was not brought to Earth by chance.
According to the new theory, the Earth was formed by a very rapid accumulation of small, millimeter-sized pebbles. According to this mechanism, the Earth formed in just a few million years, and water was a byproduct of its formation.
"This theory predicts that whenever an Earth-like planet forms, it will have water on it. If you go to another planetary system where there is a planet orbiting a star the size of the Sun, it should have water on it if it is the right distance from its star," summarizes Martin Bizzarro, co-author of the study.
The researchers' findings suggest that the presence of water on Earth is "a predicted result of its formation process". In other words, they refute the theory that water was brought to our planet by asteroids. And that, it turns out, increases the chances that there are habitable worlds outside the solar system.
Until now, it was thought that water came to Earth by accident. Had it not been hit by an asteroid with the necessary molecules, there would have been no life. But a new study offers a new theory about how the Earth was formed. According to this theory, a protoplanetary disk filled with fine dust particles formed around the young sun. When the growing planet reached a certain size, it began to rapidly suck up all this dust, like a vacuum cleaner. It took only a few million years for the planet to reach its full size.
Not only did the suction of small dust particles play a crucial role in the formation of the Earth, but it also ensured the supply of water to our planet. The researchers write that the protoplanetary disk contained many ice particles. The Earth sucked them in along with the dust. This means that the appearance of water on the planet is not a random event.
"With this new understanding of the mechanism of planet formation, the probability of habitable planets appearing in the galaxy is much higher," explains Martin Bizzarro. - Habitable is the ability of a planet to have the necessary ingredients on its surface for its development. One of the key ingredients for habitability is water.
The study by scientists at the University of Copenhagen represents a new way of looking at the process of Earth's formation. It refutes the old theory that water was brought to Earth by asteroids. The new theory suggests that water was created during the formation of the planet. This opens new perspectives in the search for habitable worlds outside the solar system.
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