Water is the source of all life. About two-thirds of our bodies are made up of it. 1 Humans can only survive for a few days without water. 2 It covers 71% of our Earth´s surface. 3 Water is abundant on our blue planet. However, its rarely found on other planets in our solar system. Where does it come from this wonder of life?
What exactly is a water molecule?
Water is a very simple molecule. It is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom that are held together by hydrogen bonds. That’s all. This simple connection makes all our lives possible.
The source of water in our Solar System
The video below will teach you about the origins of water in our solar system. I recommend it if you are unfamiliar with the formation of the solar system and want to ease into the topic before getting the answer to the question “Where Did Earth’s Water Come From?” which is not entirely answered in this video. But I’ll explain it in more detail below.
To summarize the video, the water in the Solar System came from “ice-coated interstellar grains in the dust cloud” (Crawford, 2022) that formed the sun and its surrounding planets about 4.6 billion years ago. Because of the low temperature, the water created comets and other iced objects far away from the sun. Closer to the source of light water-rock reactions formed hydrated minerals. 4
How water got to Earth
The water on our planet, according to most scientists, is the result of comets and asteroids colliding with it. Much of the water that entered the forming mantle at this time was later released through volcanic activity. 4 It’s crazy to think that an asteroid could end life on Earth, but we owe it our entire lives.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, the mystery of how water came to our planet is not entirely solved. Scientists believe it is the result of comets and asteroids colliding with our planet after the Big Bang.
Check out my blog post about the calming effects of water, if you are interested in learning more about how water affects the human psyche.
References:- Water Science School, 2019. The Water in You: Water and the Human Body. USGS. Available at: https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body [8.1.2023].
- Beall, A., 2020. How long can you survive without water? BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20201016-why-we-cant-survive-without-water [8.01.2023].
- Water Science School, 2019. How Much Water is There on Earth? USGS. Available at : https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/how-much-water-there-earth [8.01.2023].
- Crawford, I., 2022. Where did Earth get its water from? BBC Sky at Night Magazine. Available at: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/water-origins/ [8.01.2023].
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