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Earth's Earliest Atmosphere

¹ NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field CA 94035-1000, USA
E-mail: Kevin.J.Zahnle{at}nasa.gov

The aftermath of the Moon-forming impact left Earth with a hot, CO₂-rich steam atmosphere. Water oceans condensed from the steam after 2 Myr, but for some 10-100 Myr the surface stayed warm (500K), the length of time depending on how quickly the CO₂ was removed into the mantle. Thereafter a lifeless Earth, heated only by the dim light of the young Sun, would have evolved into a bitterly cold ice world. The cooling trend was frequently interrupted by volcanic- or impact-induced thaws.

KEYWORDS: Hadean Earth, Moon-forming impact, origin, evolution of the atmosphere, zircon