Earth's water may have formed from its own building blocks, new study reveals

The origins of Earth's water have long puzzled scientists. A new study published in Icarus offers fresh insights by uncovering intrinsic hydrogen in rare meteorites with a composition akin to early Earth. For decades, researchers assumed water arrived on Earth via water-rich meteorites during the Late Heavy Bombardment. Recent findings now challenge this view. Advanced techniques, including X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectroscopy, revealed hydrogen trapped within enstatite chondrites—meteorites chemically similar to Earth’s early building blocks.

The discovery suggests hydrogen, a key component of water, may have been present in Earth’s original materials. This shifts the focus from external delivery to the possibility of water forming directly from the planet’s own composition. The study opens new avenues for understanding planetary formation and the emergence of life. Future research will explore the molecular processes behind water formation and search for similar hydrogen-rich materials in other celestial bodies. These findings hint that planets with comparable compositions might also harbour water and the potential for life.