All life on Earth is carbon-based, but where did that carbon come from? Models of the planet's early stages suggest that most of the initial reserves of carbon should either have escaped into space, or become locked away in the planet's core. Now a study by Earth scientists at Rice University suggests a new answer: a collision with a Mercury-like protoplanet some 4.4 billion years ago may have brought with it a fresh supply of the vital element.
.. Continue Reading When worlds collide: Planetary impact may have brought life-giving carbon to early EarthCategory: Space
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from New Atlas http://ift.tt/2co6pkb
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