Latest news with #JamesBryson
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Origins of Earth's Water May Not Be as Complicated as We Thought
Given the seeming paucity of moisture in the leftover remains of Earth's building blocks, planetary scientists have long assumed our planet's water supply came after it formed in a rain of hydrogen-soaked rocks and comets. A new study by researchers from the University of Oxford and the UK's national synchrotron science facility challenges the theory that water arrived via special delivery. In fact, water may have been part of Earth's makeup all along. The study examines rare meteorites known as enstatite chondrites (ECs), which are thought to be similar in composition to the rocks that our planet was originally built with. Using a technique called X-Ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectroscopy, which essentially uses X-rays to chemically 'fingerprint' materials, the team found enough hydrogen to suggest oceans may have formed on Earth without any extra provisions. That hydrogen could have combined with the oxygen also embedded in the rocks of early Earth. All the ingredients were in place some 4.55 billion years ago, in other words, first for water, and then for life itself. "We now think that the material that built our planet – which we can study using these rare meteorites – was far richer in hydrogen than we thought previously," says University of Oxford Earth scientist James Bryson. "This finding supports the idea that the formation of water on Earth was a natural process, rather than a fluke of hydrated asteroids bombarding our planet after it formed." Of significance was the hydrogen's location within the samples, with concentrations of the element being found within pristine material inside the meteorites but not attached to parts of the rock that could be affected by outside contamination. The researchers propose that hydrogen gas may have reacted with the iron sulfide mineral pyrrhotite in these rocks, essentially preventing the hydrogen from being lost and locking it in until the conditions were right for water formation. "We were incredibly excited when the analysis told us the sample contained hydrogen sulfide – just not where we expected," says Earth scientist Thomas Barrett, from the University of Oxford. "Because the likelihood of this hydrogen sulfide originating from terrestrial contamination is very low, this research provides vital evidence to support the theory that water on Earth is native – that it is a natural outcome of what our planet is made of." This idea isn't a completely new one, and the researchers reference a 2020 study which also found hydrogen locked inside ECs. However, there was still some uncertainty over whether the hydrogen was native to these meteorites. The new and more thorough analysis appears to confirm that these ECs – and presumably the rocks that Earth was formed from – do indeed come with built-in hydrogen, and enough of it for our planet to evolve into the blue marble it is today. "A fundamental question for planetary scientists is how Earth came to look like it does today," says Bryson. The research has been published in Icarus. Secret of Orange Cats Finally Uncovered After 60-Year Search Breaking: Live Colossal Squid Filmed in World First When The Pandemic Came, Zoos Closed, And The Animals Started to Act Differently
Telegraph
15-04-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Water did not come to Earth from asteroids, Oxford study suggests
Water did not come to Earth from asteroids – it was already here, a new study by the University of Oxford suggests. Many scientists believe that life began on Earth following bombardment by asteroids or comets containing life-giving ingredients including hydrogen which reacted with oxygen to form water. But Oxford scientists have used ultra-powerful x-rays to peer inside space rocks, which date from the same time as the formation of the Earth around 4.5 billion years ago. The rocks represent leftover material from when the planets were forming in the Solar System, and so offer a snapshot of what the early Earth looked like. The research showed a significant amount of hydrogen sulphide, which was part of the asteroid itself rather than later contamination from falling on to the planet. Dr James Bryson, an associate professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, said: 'A fundamental question for planetary scientists is how Earth came to look like it does today. 'We now think that the material that built our planet – which we can study using these rare meteorites – was far richer in hydrogen than we thought previously. This finding supports the idea that the formation of water on Earth was a natural process, rather than a fluke of hydrated asteroids bombarding our planet after it formed.' It has been suggested that water was created in the early Earth when hydrogen dissolved into the magma oceans, where it reacted with oxygen-containing compounds, forming water. The team looked at a rare type of meteorite known as an enstatite chondrite, which was found in Antarctica, and has a composition like that of the early Earth. A previous study led by a French team had originally identified traces of hydrogen within the meteorite but it was not known if it had acquired them after crashing to Earth. 'Vital evidence' to support native water theory But the new research found that in places in the asteroid that showed signs of cracks in the rusting, there was little or no hydrogen present. All the hydrogen was locked deep within the asteroid, forming an intrinsic part of its makeup. Tom Barrett, a doctoral student in the Department of Earth Sciences, who led the study, said: 'We were incredibly excited when the analysis told us the sample contained hydrogen sulphide – just not where we expected. 'Because the likelihood of this hydrogen sulphide originating from terrestrial contamination is very low, this research provides vital evidence to support the theory that water on Earth is native – that it is a natural outcome of what our planet is made of.' In 2022, a meteorite that fell on a driveway in Gloucestershire was found to contain water that resembles water on Earth. It was the best evidence yet that asteroids delivered water to the planet. But the new study suggests that by the time the early Earth had become large enough to be struck by asteroids, it would have already amassed enough reserves of hydrogen to explain Earth's present-day water abundance. It suggests habitable conditions do not rely on space rocks and could have implications for searching for life on other planets. The research was published in the journal Icarus.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Water did not come to Earth from asteroids, Oxford study suggests
Water did not come to Earth from asteroids – it was already here, a new study by the University of Oxford suggests. Many scientists believe that life began on Earth following bombardment by asteroids or comets containing life-giving ingredients including hydrogen which reacted with oxygen to form water. But Oxford scientists have used ultra-powerful x-rays to peer inside space rocks, which date from the same time as the formation of the Earth around 4.5 billion years ago. The rocks represent leftover material from when the planets were forming in the Solar System, and so offer a snapshot of what the early Earth looked like. The research showed a significant amount of hydrogen sulphide, which was part of the asteroid itself rather than later contamination from falling on to the planet. Dr James Bryson, an associate professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, said: 'A fundamental question for planetary scientists is how Earth came to look like it does today. 'We now think that the material that built our planet – which we can study using these rare meteorites – was far richer in hydrogen than we thought previously. This finding supports the idea that the formation of water on Earth was a natural process, rather than a fluke of hydrated asteroids bombarding our planet after it formed.' It has been suggested that water was created in the early Earth when hydrogen dissolved into the magma oceans, where it reacted with oxygen-containing compounds, forming water. The team looked at a rare type of meteorite known as an enstatite chondrite, which was found in Antarctica, and has a composition like that of the early Earth. A previous study led by a French team had originally identified traces of hydrogen within the meteorite but it was not known if it had acquired them after crashing to Earth. But the new research found that in places in the asteroid that showed signs of cracks in the rusting, there was little or no hydrogen present. All the hydrogen was locked deep within the asteroid, forming an intrinsic part of its makeup. Tom Barrett, a doctoral student in the Department of Earth Sciences, who led the study, said: 'We were incredibly excited when the analysis told us the sample contained hydrogen sulphide – just not where we expected. 'Because the likelihood of this hydrogen sulphide originating from terrestrial contamination is very low, this research provides vital evidence to support the theory that water on Earth is native – that it is a natural outcome of what our planet is made of.' In 2022, a meteorite that fell on a driveway in Gloucestershire was found to contain water that resembles water on Earth. It was the best evidence yet that asteroids delivered water to the planet. But the new study suggests that by the time the early Earth had become large enough to be struck by asteroids, it would have already amassed enough reserves of hydrogen to explain Earth's present-day water abundance. It suggests habitable conditions do not rely on space rocks and could have implications for searching for life on other planets. The research was published in the journal Icarus. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
