What is the birth of Earth? (2)

Here are some more key stages of the birth of Earth:

5. Cooling and Formation of the Crust

• After the Moon-forming impact, Earth remained extremely hot, with oceans of molten rock covering the surface. Over millions of years, the planet gradually cooled.
• As Earth cooled, a solid crust began to form on its surface. Volcanic activity released gases trapped inside the planet, contributing to the formation of the early atmosphere.

6. The Formation of the Atmosphere and Oceans

• In its early stages, Earth’s atmosphere was composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, but it was quickly stripped away by the solar wind.
• As volcanic activity continued, gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and methane were released, forming a new atmosphere.
• Water vapor in the atmosphere eventually condensed as Earth cooled, leading to the formation of oceans. Some theories also suggest that water may have been delivered by comets and asteroids that collided with Earth during this time.

7. The Hadean Eon (4.5 to 4 billion years ago)

• The first 500 million years of Earth’s existence is called the Hadean Eon, named after the Greek god Hades, due to the extreme conditions on the young planet. The surface was still frequently bombarded by leftover planetesimals, leading to high volcanic activity and intense heat.
• During this time, Earth’s surface was evolving, with the crust solidifying and breaking up into tectonic plates.

8. Development of Stable Conditions (around 4 billion years ago)

• By the end of the Hadean Eon, Earth had developed a relatively stable crust, oceans, and a thicker atmosphere. This provided the necessary conditions for the next major chapter in Earth’s history: the emergence of life.
• Earth entered the Archean Eon, when life first appeared in the form of simple, single-celled organisms, setting the stage for the evolution of more complex forms of life over the next several billion years.

In summary, Earth’s birth was a turbulent process involving collisions, accretion, and differentiation. Over time, it transformed from a molten, chaotic mass into a more stable planet with oceans, an atmosphere, and conditions capable of supporting life. This process of formation is a key part of the larger story of the Solar System’s evolution.