According to data, the Earth's core, primarily composed of iron, cannot consist solely of this element, indicating the presence of other, lighter elements. Given that direct measurement of the core is impossible, scientists rely on the results of computer modeling and laboratory experiments, as reported by Scientific American.
In their work, researchers from Peking University used diamond anvil cells to create the necessary conditions. Samples made of iron and hydrogen-containing silicate glass, simulating an ancient magmatic ocean, were subjected to pressures of 111 gigapascals and temperatures of 4827 °C. The scientists reduced the size of the samples to needles about 20 nm thick and bombarded them with ion beams for detailed atomic-level analysis.
The results of the study showed that during the formation of the Earth, hydrogen, silicon, and oxygen combined within iron. Based on this data, the scientists estimated the hydrogen content in the core to be between 0.07% and 0.36% of its mass. This colossal amount could have formed only during the initial formation of the planet from a gas-dust cloud.
Thus, water may have been part of the Earth from the very beginning, rather than being "brought" later by celestial bodies.
The results obtained by the scientists fundamentally change views on the origin of water on Earth, and the presence of hydrogen in the core is linked to the creation of conditions necessary for habitation. About 4.5 billion years ago, when the core began to cool, silicon, hydrogen, and oxygen started to crystallize, forming convection currents. These currents, according to the researchers, could have initiated an ancient geodynamo mechanism that formed the Earth's magnetic field, protecting life on the planet from cosmic radiation.
