A moon-size object collides with a planet in an artist's conception. NASA/JPL-Caltech
Posted on 12/24/2010 11:45:17 AM PST by SunkenCiv
..Scientists have long known that there's a mysterious amount of siderophile ("iron-loving") metals in Earth's mantle. Such metals, including gold, tend to affiliate with iron in their liquid forms.
The best explanation has been that some sort of space object brought the elements to the planet just after it formed its core, but the exact nature of the impactor has been a matter of debate.
Based on computer simulations, the new study says that a small number of enormous, random impacts roughly 4.5 billion years ago are the sources of Earth's iron-loving materials.
These impactors were rocky objects left over from our solar system's planet-formation phase. The largest one that hit Earth was roughly the size of Pluto -- up to 2,000 miles (3,220 kilometers) wide, the study suggests.
And young Earth wasn't the only recipient: Cataclysmic collisions delivered iron-loving metals to the moon and Mars around the same time, the study authors say. What's more, the impacts may have been the source of water on the moon...
Moon rocks brought back during the Apollo missions led to the now widely accepted theory that the moon formed when a Mars-size object crashed into early Earth.
Energy from the impact would have spurred the still forming Earth to develop its mostly iron core. When this happened, iron-loving metals should have followed molten iron down from the planet's mantle and into the core.
But we know that gold and other iron-lovers are found in modest abundances in Earth's mantle.
Using a mathematical approach called Monte Carlo analysis, Bottke's team calculates that iron-loving metals were delivered in a limited number of massive impacts that just happened to miss the moon...
(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalgeographic.com ...
subtitle: Pluto-size space rocks may have put precious metals in the mantle.
A moon-size object collides with a planet in an artist's conception. NASA/JPL-Caltech
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Thank goodness. I was getting worried what Soros would do when he bought up all the precious metals on Earth. Now he can make speculations on astroids.
and two other giant asteroids brought frankincense and myrrh.
Wonder if we can get one to come and take the Democrats away from Earth?
so.... if the moon formed from ejecta of a collision then does that mean what hit the baby Earth was bigger than the moon or maybe the same size?
A+
the article actually started with something like that, I kinda edited it out. :’)
'Gold?'
I nominate you for post of the day. :p
So giant asteroids may bring us enough gold to pay off our government debt?
Hey billorites: Amen to that!
“The best explanation has been that some sort of space object brought the elements to the planet just after it formed its core........” Yes. His Name is Yahweh, or Jehovah, or God, or The Lord Jesus Christ.
Isa 45:3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
We picked up the moon from the planet that formed the asteroid belt when it was destroyed.
Bigger than the moon. Mars-sized. Mars is roughly twice the size of the moon. It stands to reason, seeing as that a good bit of the "stuff" from the impactor would have been left behind on Earth, while the ejecta turned into the moon.
The impact theory is more widely accepted now. It is actually being presented as fact in a lot of astronomy shows I watch.
nice!
Dammit Jim, I’m a cabinetmaker, not a physicist...
Just in case anyone is planning a trip...http://www.permanent.com/a-index.htm
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