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Origin of life-forming volatile elements in the inner Solar System

Nature volume 611, pages 245–255 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Volatile elements such as hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen are essential ingredients to build habitable worlds like Earth, but their origin and evolution on terrestrial planets remain highly debated. Here we discuss the processes that distributed these elements throughout the early Solar System and how they then became incorporated into planetary building blocks. Volatiles on Earth and the other terrestrial planets appear to have been heterogeneously sourced from different Solar System reservoirs. The sources of planetary volatiles and the timing at which they were accreted to growing planets probably play a crucial role in controlling planet habitability.

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Fig. 1: The main steps of PSN formation from the collapse of the molecular cloud core until planet formation, and the associated processes controlling H, C, N and O distribution and isotopic fractionation.
Fig. 2: Abundance and distribution of volatile elements in planetary bodies of the Solar System.
Fig. 3: Main stages of planetary formation and volatile incorporation into terrestrial building blocks within the PSN.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (PHOTONIS Advanced Grant number 695618 to B.M. and VOLATILIS Starting Grant 715028 to E.F.) and the French Research National Agency (grant ANR-19-CE31-0027-01 to L.P.). We thank N. Schnuriger for sharing with us the picture of CV NWA 10235 used in Fig. 1h. This is CRPG contribution 2830.

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  1. Université de Lorraine, CNRS, CRPG, Nancy, France

    Michael W. Broadley, David V. Bekaert, Laurette Piani, Evelyn Füri & Bernard Marty

  2. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA

    David V. Bekaert

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Broadley, M.W., Bekaert, D.V., Piani, L. et al. Origin of life-forming volatile elements in the inner Solar System. Nature 611, 245–255 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05276-x

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