The first meteorites in the solar system could explain how the Earth got water



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Some of the oldest known meteorites could explain how water got to Earth. Gizmodo reports that scientists have discovered evidence of carbonaceous chondrites, a group of meteorites from the formation of the solar system (about 4.5 billion years ago), held liquid water until “ ago ” barely ” a few hundred thousand years ago. They may have seeded the Earth with water when it was still very young.

The researchers dated the flow of water in the rocks using a uranium-thorium combo. Since uranium is very mobile in fluids while thorium is relatively static, scientists could tell when the water last passed through meteorites. As this signature disappears over time, its presence clearly shows that the water was active relatively recently.

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