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Exploring the origins of Earth's water, this overview delves into the asteroid belt's contribution and the intense bombardment period that shaped our planet. It also examines the migration of gas giants and their influence on the outer Solar System's architecture, including the formation of the Kuiper belt, the scattered disc, and the Oort cloud. The text further discusses the Late Heavy Bombardment's impact on life's origins and the dynamic history of the asteroid belt and Moon formation.
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Water was brought to Earth by icy planetesimals and planetary embryos from the colder, outer regions of the Solar System, influenced by the gravitational perturbations of Jupiter
The discovery of main-belt comets in 2006 provided additional support for the asteroid belt as a significant source of Earth's water
Isotopic studies suggest that comets from the Kuiper belt or more distant Oort cloud contributed a relatively small fraction of Earth's water
The gas giants, Uranus and Neptune, likely formed closer to Jupiter and Saturn and subsequently migrated outwards, shaping the structure of the outer Solar System
The Nice model explains the dynamical evolution of the giant planets' orbits post-formation, including a pivotal 2:1 resonance between Jupiter and Saturn that precipitated the dispersal of Kuiper belt objects and the outward journey of Uranus and Neptune
The migration of the gas giants had a significant impact on the structure and composition of the outer Solar System, including the formation of the Kuiper belt, scattered disc, and Oort cloud
The outward migration of the gas giants is hypothesized to have instigated the Late Heavy Bombardment, an intense phase of asteroid and comet impacts on the terrestrial planets approximately 4 billion years ago
The Late Heavy Bombardment aligns with the earliest evidence of life on Earth, suggesting a possible connection between these impacts and the origin of life
Accretion, the process of growth by the accumulation of additional material, is ongoing in the Solar System, as evidenced by events such as the collision of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 with Jupiter
The asteroid belt underwent significant changes after the Late Heavy Bombardment, primarily due to collisions that led to the creation of new asteroids and moons
Moons in the Solar System have diverse origins, including formation from a circumplanetary disk, remnants of a massive impact, or capture of a passing body
The prevailing theory for the Moon's origin involves a colossal impact that sent debris into Earth's orbit, which then aggregated to form our Moon
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Earth's initial water state post-formation
Initially too hot for water to condense; inner Solar System too warm for water incorporation.
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Source of Earth's water delivery
Icy planetesimals and planetary embryos from outer Solar System, influenced by Jupiter's gravity.
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Role of main-belt comets discovered in 2006
Provided evidence for asteroid belt as significant Earth's water source.
