A new study challenges long-held assumptions about early Earth, suggesting its surface remained molten for up to half a billion years. The research, led by scientists at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, paints a picture of a planet with a thick, toxic atmosphere, a newly formed and visibly larger moon, and lava covering the entire surface.
This prolonged molten period, roughly 4.5 billion years ago, revises previous models that estimated Earth's magma ocean cooled relatively quickly. The findings, currently available on the arXiv preprint server, have significant implications for understanding how life could have emerged under such extreme conditions.
The paper's exact methodology and data remain under peer review, as it has not yet been published in a scientific journal. The researchers have not specified the precise duration of the molten phase beyond the proposed half-billion-year timeframe.
If confirmed, the extended lava age would mean Earth's earliest environment was far more hostile and long-lasting than previously thought. This could force a re-evaluation of theories about when and how organic molecules first formed, potentially shifting the timeline for life's origins.
The findings should be interpreted with caution until formally peer-reviewed. The arXiv preprint server hosts many papers that undergo significant revision before final publication.