A Meteorite From Alaska Challenges Theory of How Earth Got Its Water

Water is essential to life as we know it, but scientists are still unsure about how it originated on Earth. One theory is that asteroids express-shipped us hydrogen, essential to the formation of water molecules, by colliding with our planet in its early history. New research, however, suggests Earth already had enough hydrogen of its own, thank you very much. Researchers in the UK discovered previously unknown quantities of hydrogen in a type of meteorite called an enstatite chondrite. I know what you’re thinking: What does hydrogen on a meteorite have to do with the origin of water on Earth? The composition of enstatite chondrite meteorites closely resembles that of Earth 4.55 billion years ago. So if the meteorite has its own source of hydrogen, then early Earth likely did, too—meaning it could have produced water without the help of foreign emissaries. “A fundamental question for planetary scientists is how Earth came to look like it does today. We now think that the material tha ... Read full article.