Rare crystals reveal when Earth first had fresh water, hinting at origin of life

In a fresh analysis of the ancient rare crystals - which were embedded in the rock present in the Australian outback - the scientists said that Earth had fresh water and dry land some four billion years ago.

This theory contradicts the earlier premise that the ocean hadcompletely covered the planet. The chemicals present in the crystals showed that the hot and molten rocks from which they had originated had come in contact with freshwater during the formation of the crystals, as per the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

“By examining the age and oxygen isotopes in tiny crystals of the mineral zircon, we found unusually light isotopic signatures as far back as four billion years ago,” stated lead study author Hamed Gamaleldien, in a press release.

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“Such light oxygen isotopes are typically the result of hot, fresh water altering rocks several kilometres below Earth’s surface," he added.

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Gamaleldiensaid that they have found evidence of fresh water's presence on the dry land where water collected and slowly swept into the continental crust.

“We have two important things here. We have discovered the earliest evidence of fresh water and representative evidence for dry land above the sea,” the author said.

The research showed that the water cycle of Earth — when water travels between land, oceans and atmosphere through the process of evaporation and precipitation —was operational at that time.

Recipe for origins of life existed less than 600 million years after the formation of Earth

The authors said that the current finding reflected the presence of the origins of life on Earth nearly 600 million years after the planet's formation. This was long before the existence of the dinosaurs or the earliest known microbial life.

Gamaleldien said that the earliest evidence of life is fresh water which contains stromatolites and fossilised microbeswhich form mounds in hot springs almost 3.5 billion years ago.

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In a statement, a senior research fellowat Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Science and study co-author Hugo Olierook said, “This discovery not only sheds light on Earth’s early history but also suggests … landmasses and freshwater set the stage for life to flourish within a relatively short time frame — less than 600 million years after the planet formed."

“The findings mark a significant step forward in our understanding of Earth’s early history and open doors for further exploration into the origins of life,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)