Fresh water on Earth appeared 500 million years earlier than previously thought

Written by Copernical Team Tuesday, 04 June 2024 16:11

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

Write a comment

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jun 04, 2024

New research led by Curtin University indicates that fresh water appeared on Earth about four billion years ago, which is 500 million years earlier than previously believed. Dr. Hamed Gamaleldien, Adjunct Research Fellow at Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and an Assistant Professor at Khalifa University, UAE, stated that by examining ancient crystals from the Jack Hills in

Fresh water on Earth appeared 500 million years earlier than previously thought
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jun 04, 2024

New research led by Curtin University indicates that fresh water appeared on Earth about four billion years ago, which is 500 million years earlier than previously believed.

Dr. Hamed Gamaleldien, Adjunct Research Fellow at Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and an Assistant Professor at Khalifa University, UAE, stated that by examining ancient crystals from the Jack Hills in Western Australia's Mid West region, researchers have revised the timeline for the emergence of fresh water to a few hundred million years after the planet's formation.

"We were able to date the origins of the hydrological cycle, which is the continuous process through which water moves around Earth and is crucial for sustaining ecosystems and supporting life on our planet," Dr. Gamaleldien said.

"By examining the age and oxygen isotopes in tiny crystals of the mineral zircon, we found unusually light isotopic signatures as far back as four billion years ago. Such light oxygen isotopes are typically the result of hot, fresh water altering rocks several kilometres below Earth's surface.

"Evidence of fresh water this deep inside Earth challenges the existing theory that Earth was completely covered by ocean four billion years ago."

Dr. Hugo Olierook, a co-author from Curtin University's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, highlighted the importance of this discovery for understanding Earth's formation and the emergence of life.

"This discovery not only sheds light on Earth's early history but also suggests landmasses and fresh water set the stage for life to flourish within a relatively short time frame - less than 600 million years after the planet formed," Dr. Olierook said.

"The findings mark a significant step forward in our understanding of Earth's early history and open doors for further exploration into the origins of life."

The research involved the Earth Dynamics Research Group and the Timescales of Mineral Systems Group at Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the John de Laeter Centre. Part of the study utilized the CAMECA 1300HR3 instrument at the John de Laeter Centre's Large Geometry Ion Microprobe (LGIM) facility, funded by AuScope, the Geological Survey of Western Australia, and Curtin University.

Research Report:Onset of the Earth's hydrological cycle four billion years ago or earlier