New Lunar Regolith Analysis Challenges Meteorite-Water Theory
Planetary scientists analyzing oxygen isotopes in lunar soil from the Apollo mission sites conclude that meteorite bombardment over 4 billion years could only have delivered a tiny fraction of Earth’s water, forcing researchers to rethink a long-held theory. Meteorites' bombardment of Earth early in the development of the Solar System may have been a significant source of Earth's water, according to previous research. Dr. In a new study, Tony Gargano from NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the Lunar and Planetary Institute and colleagues used a novel method for analyzing the dusty debris that covers the Moon’s surface called regolith. They discovered that meteorite delivery since approximately 4 billion years ago could only have supplied a small portion of Earth's water, even under optimistic assumptions. The Moon serves as an ancient archive of the impact history the Earth-Moon system has experienced over billions of years. Where Earth’s dynamic crust and weather erase such...