The Water of Earth. The Contribution of Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors

Earth is a fascinating and amazing planet to study because it has surface water. Surface water is an extremely valuable resource. It is arguably the most valuable resource on Earth because it is essential to all living organisms and it formed over a large amount of time. Water formed on Earth through a process that lasted millions of years. 

The process that allowed water to form on Earth included; asteroids, comets, and meteors. Astronomers have many theories about this process. Some astronomers have different beliefs about the ratio of comets, meteors, and asteroids that were involved in the formation of water on Earth. All of the different theories that involve the different ratios and time scales can all be justified because no one really knows how water formed on the surface of the Earth. It is impossible to know because humans had not even been created when water formed on Earth. However, astronomers know that asteroids, meteors, and comets played a role in water formation on the surface of earth because the water had to have come from some outside source. 

Asteroids, comets, and meteors are very important celestial bodies that have been found in our solar system. Most importantly asteroids, comets, and meteors, contributed to water formation on the surface of the Earth. These celestial bodies, any natural body outside of the solar system, have been studied for many years and they are all very different from one another. Their differences make them very interesting. 

Asteroids are airless objects, most commonly found in the asteroid belt. The asteroid belt is located Mars and Jupiter. For more information on asteroids here is a link http://www.michastrostudent.blogspot.com/2012/11/asteroids.html

Comets are icy objects, most commonly found in the Oort cloud. The Oort cloud is a spherical cloud located 50,000 AU from the Sun. For more information on comets here is a link http://www.michastrostudent.blogspot.com/2012/11/comets.html

Meteors are dust to bolder sized particles of debris that are found in the solar system. 

Meteorites that astronomers have studied on Earth have hydrogen isotope ratios that help explain how elements like hydrogen and nitrogen got on the Earth. 

The biggest question astronomers are trying to answer is how volatiles like hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon first arrived on Earth. Astronomers mostly believe that these elements arrived on Earth through collisions with comets and asteroids. One of the most accepted theories on how water formed on Earth suggests that during the creation of the solar system Jupiter and Saturn's orbits were disturbed and that caused comets in the outer solar system to move inward and later make their way towards Earth. These comets collided with Earth and left ice and other elements behind. Later when an asteroid collided with the Earth, the ice was melted and liquid water was then formed on the surface of the Earth. This process, according to astronomers, happened many times and it took millions of years.