Where Did Earth’s Water Come From? Has It Decreased Over 4 Billion Years?
Understanding the Origins and Evolution of Water on Our Planet and Why It’s Not Disappearing Anytime Soon
As we all know, the Earth’s surface is covered by a vast amount of liquid water, with approximately 70% of it being covered by oceans. Research indicates that liquid water appeared on Earth over 4 billion years ago. But where did this water come from, and has it diminished over these billions of years? Let’s explore this topic.
According to the prevailing scientific theory, the solar system was formed from a massive primordial nebula, known as the “solar nebula.” Around 4.6 billion years ago, this “solar nebula” underwent gravitational collapse due to some external disturbance.
During the collapse, the Sun was formed at the center of the nebula, while the remaining material continued to orbit around the Sun, colliding and accreting, eventually evolving into the various celestial bodies within the solar system, including Earth.
When we look at the abundance of elements in the known universe, we find that hydrogen and oxygen, which make up water, are among the most common elements. Because of the highly reactive nature of oxygen, it easily combines with hydrogen to form…
