Privileged Planet: became a watery planet quickly (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, June 14, 2023, 17:40 (317 days ago) @ David Turell

According to new simulations:

https://phys.org/news/2023-06-earth-faster-thought.html

"Up until now, researchers believed that it took more than 100 million years for the Earth to form. And it was also common belief that water was delivered by lucky collisions with water-rich asteroids like comets.

"However, a new study from the University of Copenhagen suggests that it might not have happened entirely by chance.

"'We show that the Earth formed by the very fast accumulation of small millimeter-sized pebbles. In this mechanism, the Earth was formed in just a few million years. Based on our findings, it appears that the presence of water on Earth is a byproduct of its formation," says Martin Bizzarro, who is a Professor at Globe Institute and one of the researchers behind the new study.

"The results of the research not only show that the Earth was created much faster than previously thought, but that the presence of water is a predicted outcome of its formation process. This is important knowledge because it tells us something about planets outside our own solar system.

***

"...the researchers behind the new study suggests a new theory of how Earth was created.

"'There was a disk around the young sun where the planets were growing. The disk was filled with small dust particles. Once a planet reaches a certain size, it sorts of act like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up all that dust very quickly. And that makes it grow to the size of Earth in just a few million years," says Ph.D. student Isaac Onyett, who is the corresponding author of the study.

"This vacuuming of small dust particles not only played a vital role in Earth's formation but made sure that water was delivered to our planet.

"'The disk also contains many icy particles. As the vacuum cleaner effect draws in the dust, it also captures a portion of the ice. This process contributes to the presence of water during Earth's formation, rather than relying on a chance event delivering water 100 million years later," says Isaac Onyett.

***

"The researchers used silicon isotopes as a tool to understand the mechanisms and timescales of planet formation. By analyzing the isotopic composition of more than 60 different meteorites and planetary bodies, the researchers were able to establish genetic relationships between rocky planets like Earth and Mars and other celestial objects. This approach allowed the researchers to of the type of building blocks that assembled to form Earth, and the process by which they came together."

Comment: from my viewpoint I see the hand of God guiding Earth to a fast beginning.