A recent study led by a Rutgers-New Brunswick scientist suggests that water arrived on Earth later than previously believed. This discovery has implications for understanding when life began on the planet. The research, published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, indicates that water was delivered during the final stages of Earth’s development from dust and gas, a process known as late accretion.
Katherine Bermingham, an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, is the lead author of the study. She stated, “When water was delivered to the planet is a major unanswered question in planetary science.” Bermingham’s work focuses on analyzing Earth rocks and meteorites to understand the origin and evolution of the solar system.
The team used thermal ionization mass spectrometry to study isotopes of molybdenum from meteorite samples obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. They compared these isotopic compositions with those found in Earth rocks from various locations including Greenland, South Africa, Canada, the United States, and Japan.
Bermingham explained that “the molybdenum isotopic composition of Earth rocks provides us with a special window into events occurring around the time of Earth’s final core formation.” The research showed similarities between Earth rocks and meteorites from the inner solar system (NC), suggesting less water was added during Earth’s early formation than previously thought.
“Our results suggest that the Moon-forming event was not a major supplier of water,” Bermingham said. Instead, evidence supports that water arrived in smaller amounts after this period during late accretion.
Other contributors to this study include Linda Godfrey and Hope Tornabene from Rutgers’ Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
