Abstract
Between 4.568 and 4.4 Ga: An Uninhabitable Planet?
Immediately after its formation, the surface of the Earth was particularly inhospitable: no continents, no liquid water, but instead, a magma ocean subjected to intense meteoritic bombardment. The period between 4.57 and 4.4 billion years before the present (4.57–4.4 Ga BP) nevertheless saw the progressive establishment of the environmental elements that, later, would allow both the prebiotic chemistry to begin, and the emergence of life.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gargaud, M., Martin, H., López-García, P., Montmerle, T., Pascal, R. (2012). Formation and Early Infancy of the Earth. In: Young Sun, Early Earth and the Origins of Life. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22552-9_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22552-9_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-22551-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-22552-9
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)