The existence of water is essential for all life on Earth. In this way, the genesis of water on Earth is also the birth of life within our Solar System (as well as the Universe) as we now understand it. Finding understanding how and where our planet’s water came to be may be crucial in the search for life on other planets, but the fact is that we have no idea where it originated from in the first place.
Nonetheless, it is widely agreed that bombardment by comets and asteroids containing water occurred when our planet was considerably younger and that this was one possible method for water distribution.
However, according to a recent examination of samples taken from the Moon and returned to Earth throughout the Apollo period, this may not be the case after all. A team of experts at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory believes that the most likely explanation is that Earth began as a result of water flowing over it. In other words, it’s been there all the time.
The origins of the Moon
The Moon may seem to be an odd site to hunt for water on Earth, yet it is just that. It’s dirty with dust, dry, and utterly devoid of any moisture. As it happens, however, the Moon is an excellent location for studying the history of the Earth. It is believed that the Moon originated when two gigantic objects — one around the scale of Mars and the other somewhat smaller than our own planet – collided and reshaped into lumps that would eventually become the Earth and its Moon.
The Earth’s recollection of the occurrence has tarnished through time, but since the Moon lacks plate tectonics and weather, geological proof hasn’t eroded as much. That isn’t to suggest there aren’t any procedures up there. The lunar surface may be altered by collisions from other objects and earlier volcanic action. Nevertheless, there are a few samples in the Apollo archive that haven’t changed much.
