Scientists believe that most of Earth’s finite water supply was brought here early in Earth’s history.
They think icy comets and asteroids bombarded the young Earth for hundreds of millions of years.
Bob Kandel: And that brought water mostly in the form of ice in these comets and meteorites and so on to the Earth that was forming. Now the impacts must have heated things up, some of that must have evaporated but eventually there was so much water vapor in the atmosphere it would have rained out.
That was Bob Kandel, a senior scientist at the National Scientific Research Agency of France and author of a book about Earth’s water. The basic stuff needed to make water – hydrogen and oxygen – are common elements in the universe.
Yet Earth is unique in our solar system for being a water planet. Oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface, and every living thing consists in large part of water. We continuously lose a little water to space from our outer atmosphere. And most scientists think the process that brought us water originally – the bombardment by comets and asteroids – has for the most part stopped.
That’s why nowadays the care of the 3% of our planet’s water that’s usable by humans is one of the major challenges of the 21st century.
Our thanks to:
Robert Kandel
National Scientific Research Agency
France
??? Whats it mean usable to humans?
It means fresh water … the water we can drink and use … as opposed to the salt water in the ocean, for example.
The only scientifically measurable part of this “theory” is that 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water. All the rest is pure fiction promoted by wanna-be scientists. For example – how does the theory account for fresh and saline water – salty and fresh comet balls? And how does the theory account for the fact that all sources of water are deep “within” the earth. The 1977 discovery of deep ocean hydrothermal vents demonstrates a scientifically supportable “closed” system of hydrologic process flows.
I wonder if the ice ball theorists just saw Space Balls for the first time? These “theorists” are simply morons.
Mr. Jeff Sturgis, you are the victim of convoluted thinking, due to a lack of factual information. Not to worry — this can be overcome! If you do a bit of reading, you will find answers to your questions about your fresh water/saline water confusion, as well as how water was trapped beneath layers of the earth during formation. This information is readily available; you merely have to read! A word of caution: Don’t be so quick to form rigid, passionate opinions without basing your conclusions on reliable information!
Umm. Jeff … salt water on Earth is thought to be the result of a long process of water flowing over mineral deposits on land.
Water within Earth simply seeps in … we all see that happen whenever rain falls …
All the best,
Deborah
If what I heard today about water on the earth is what you people are all about, I promise I will do all I can to see that my local radio station cancels your programs. READ YOUR BIBLE
Excellent ideas here, have emailed my mum so expect a big reply!!