Southwest Research Institute scientists recently modeled the protracted period of bombardment following the Moon's formation, when leftover planetesimals pounded the Earth. Based on these simulations, scientists theorize that moon-sized objects delivered more mass to the Earth than previously thought.
Early in its evolution, Earth sustained an impact with another large object, and the Moon formed from the resulting debris ejected into an Earth-orbiting disk. A long period of bombardment followed, the so-called "late accretion," when large bodies impacted the Earth delivering materials that were accreted or integrated into the young planet.
"We modeled the massive collisions and how metals and silicates were integrated into Earth during this 'late accretion stage,' which lasted for hundreds of millions of years after the Moon formed," said SwRI's Dr. Simone Marchi, lead author of a Nature Geoscience paper outlining these results. "Based on our simulations, the late accretion mass delivered to Earth may be significantly greater than previously thought, with important consequences for the earliest evolution of our planet."
Previously, scientists estimated that materials from planetesimals integrated during the final stage of terrestrial planet formation made up about half a percent of the Earth's present mass. This is based on the concentration of highly "siderophile" elements—metals such as gold, platinum and iridium, which have an affinity for iron—in the Earth's mantle. The relative abundance of these elements in the mantle points to late accretion, after Earth's core had formed. But the estimate assumes that all highly siderophile elements delivered by the later impacts were retained in the mantle.
Late accretion may have involved large differentiated projectiles. These impactors may have concentrated the highly siderophile elements primarily in their metallic cores. New high-resolution impact simulations by researchers at SwRI and the University of Maryland show that substantial portions of a large planetesimal's core could descend to, and be assimilated into, the Earth's core—or ricochet back into space and escape the planet entirely. Both outcomes reduce the amount of highly siderophile elements added to Earth's mantle, which implies that two to five times as much material may have been delivered than previously thought.
"These simulations also may help explain the presence of isotopic anomalies in ancient terrestrial rock samples such as komatiite, a volcanic rock," said SwRI co-author Dr. Robin Canup. "These anomalies were problematic for lunar origin models that imply a well-mixed mantle following the giant impact. We propose that at least some of these rocks may have been produced long after the Moon-forming impact, during late accretion."
The paper, "Heterogeneous delivery of silicate and metal to the Earth by large planetesimals," was published Dec. 4 online in Nature Geoscience.
Explore further:
New insights into early terrestrial planet formation
More information:
Heterogeneous delivery of silicate and metal to the Earth by large planetesimals, Nature Geoscience (2017). nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/s41561-017-0022-3
doogsnova
https://billymeie...wnloads/
cantdrive85
GIGO based on garbage is little more than a larger pile excrement. These "scientists" are experts in creating crap.
https://youtu.be/3U8nDMCjAMA
FredJose
All the best simulations on earth cannot account for the existence of the planets in our system because they all make terrible unjustified assumptions regarding that most elusive and critical element of the assumed self-formation process. And even with the best efforts, Jupiter and Saturn provide some real challenges as to the amount of time required for so-called self-formation. Longer than the assumed existence of the solar system itself....go figure.
Just to throw a nice little spanner in the works - how are they EVER going to explain this one via this nebulous theory:
https://warwick.a...scovery/
FredJose
I suppose since there is no other explanation this totally irrational one will have to do.
Right now there exists very little if any observational evidence that something like this could have given birth to the moon. The only real possible explanation cannot be countenanced by the naturalists and so they have to cling to the irrational in spite of knowing full well that they are hanging onto puffs of smoke.
torbjorn_b_g_larsson
Not so interesting are previous commentators claiming against fact that we do not know what we know. They are of course welcome to publish their supposed findings in peer review, yet they seem unable to do so. Meanwhile science, and the rest of society, moves onto new findings.
StudentofSpiritualTeaching