Early Plate Tectonics...

An article at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1126133357.htm

notes that microscopic zircons found in early rocks indicate that the
Earth is likely to have had plate tectonics - and surface water - four
billion years ago, shortly after its formation, much earlier than
previously thought.

If we didn't have a dry early Earth, that gained its atmosphere and
oceans later through gradual volcanic outgassing... where _did_ the
water come from?

I'm wondering if these discoveries will eventually lead to a new
theory... that the Earth began life as a gas giant, but which was too
small and too hot to retain its atmosphere the way Uranus and Neptune
did?

John Savard

"Quadibloc" wrote in message
...
An article at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1126133357.htm

notes that microscopic zircons found in early rocks indicate that the
Earth is likely to have had plate tectonics - and surface water - four
billion years ago, shortly after its formation, much earlier than
previously thought.

If we didn't have a dry early Earth, that gained its atmosphere and
oceans later through gradual volcanic outgassing... where _did_ the
water come from?

I'm wondering if these discoveries will eventually lead to a new
theory... that the Earth began life as a gas giant, but which was too
small and too hot to retain its atmosphere the way Uranus and Neptune
did?

John Savard

Are you saying that the earths water condensed out of a gaseous atmosphere?

Are you saying that the earths water condensed out of a gaseous
atmosphere?

I thought the most popular current explanation is that the Earth's water
came from comet bombardments.
--
Curtis Croulet
Temecula, California
33°27'59"N, 117°05'53"W

"Curtis Croulet" wrote in message
...
Are you saying that the earths water condensed out of a gaseous
atmosphere?

I thought the most popular current explanation is that the Earth's water
came from comet bombardments.
--
Curtis Croulet
Temecula, California
33°27'59"N, 117°05'53"W


Me too and makes a lot of sense over the first eons of formation.