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Oxford Study Suggests Earth's Water Originated from Native Hydrogen

New research published in *Icarus* challenges the asteroid delivery theory, proposing Earth's water formed naturally from its building materials.

A rare kind of meteorite known as enstatite chondrite resembles Earth's composition roughly 4.5 billion years ago.
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Overview

  • University of Oxford scientists analyzed the enstatite chondrite meteorite LAR12252, which closely resembles Earth's composition 4.55 billion years ago.
  • Using advanced XANES spectroscopy, researchers identified hydrogen sulfide intrinsic to the meteorite, ruling out terrestrial contamination.
  • The study provides evidence that Earth's water originated from native hydrogen present in its building materials, rather than being delivered by asteroids.
  • The findings suggest that habitable conditions on Earth and potentially other planets could arise naturally without extraterrestrial water sources.
  • While the native water theory gains support, scientists continue to explore the potential contributions of asteroid impacts to Earth's early hydrogen inventory.