A recent study suggests that the Earth's core may hold vast amounts of hydrogen, potentially reshaping our understanding of the origin of Earth's water.
A groundbreaking study published in 'Nature Communications' on February 10 indicates that the Earth's core could contain between nine to forty-five times the amount of water present in all of Earth's oceans, hidden in the form of hydrogen linked to metallic materials. This revelation challenges long-standing theories regarding the source of Earth's water and raises important questions about the formation of our planet.
The debate on whether Earth's water originated from space via comet and asteroid impacts or was originally part of the planet's composition has occupied scientists for decades. The implications of this study, if validated, not only alter our understanding of Earth's water sources but could also impact how scientists assess the potential for water on other celestial bodies in the universe.
Measuring hydrogen in the depths of the Earth poses significant scientific challenges due to the extreme pressures and temperatures that exist in the core, which may reach thousands of degrees Celsius. Researchers employed innovative techniques to circumvent the difficulties posed by this inaccessible environment, contributing to a potential paradigm shift in geoscience and planetary research.
