A recent study offers fresh perspectives on the moon's formation and Earth's water. Researchers have delved deep into lunar and terrestrial samples, uncovering links that challenge long-held theories about these planetary phenomena.
Moon Formed from Earth's Mantle Material
The research, conducted by scientists from the University of Göttingen and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, suggests the moon originated mainly from Earth's mantle. Analysing oxygen isotopes from 14 lunar and 191 Earth samples, the team discovered striking similarities.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study found that oxygen-17 isotopes on the moon closely match Earth's. This finding disputes earlier ideas that the moon's composition came significantly from Theia, a protoplanet that collided with Earth billions of years ago.
Professor Andreas Pack from the University of Göttingen suggested Theia's earlier impacts may have stripped its mantle. This could mean it collided with Earth as a "metallic cannonball," ejecting Earth's mantle material to form the moon.
Reassessing the Origin of Earth's Water
The findings also question established theories about Earth's water. The Late Veneer Event theory, which posits that water arrived after the moon's formation, is being revisited.
Meike Fischer, the study's lead author, noted that isotopic similarities between Earth and the moon exclude many meteorites as the water's source. Instead, enstatite chondrites, a specific type of meteorite with isotopic and water content similarities, may have delivered Earth's water.
These discoveries provide crucial insights into the shared histories of Earth and the moon. They highlight the need to reassess theories about planetary evolution and Earth's early development.
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