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Where did the Earth's water originally come from?

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René Wilbrandt
August 23, 2025

From outer space or inside the Earth? This Tomorrow Today question comes from Souleymane N. in Senegal.

The origin of water on our planet has not been definitively proven.

One theory suggests that H2O has always existed on Earth and was released through volcanic eruptions. Another hypothesis is that water arrived via the impact of comets and asteroids. A more recent idea proposes that a cloud of water vapor once enveloped the inner planets of the solar system, including Earth.

The likely answer is that a combination of all of these factors brought water to our planet.

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