Research from the University of Oxford reveals that Earth's water was not sourced from asteroids but was present from the planet's formation. An analysis of a unique asteroid similar to Earth's original materials showed rich hydrogen content, crucial for forming water. This finding suggests that hydrogen and oxygen were incorporated into Earth by its primordial elements, making surface water more common on other planets than once thought. The study, led by PhD student Tom Barrett, challenges long-standing theories about the origins of Earth's water.
'The big conclusion of this study is that hydrogen, and by extension the ingredients for water, were incorporated into Earth by its primary building blocks, making it an inevitable consequence of our planet's formation.'
This may mean that water on the surface of planets is not as unlikely as previously thought. The debate has often centred on how these elements came to Earth.
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